[NEW RELEASES] Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

Should she stay or should she go?

This is the dilemma Kelly Clarkson grapples with on “All I Ever Wanted,” an album that serves as one conflicted dissertation on rocky romances.

As anyone asking herself the same question can attest, Clarkson’s lyrics map the rough terrain and wrong turns that are part and parcel to matters of the heart.

But rather than getting bitter and morose like in her disastrous last album, Clarkson embraces her American Idol roots with up-tempo tracks and an upbeat attitude - complete with the album’s neon-colored art.

She starts out the disc with “My Life Would Suck Without You,” whose message lacks the strength, resolve and - let’s face it - anger of past hits like “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes.” But if you’re looking for breakup tunes, “Already Gone” and “Cry” reflect a sensitivity and depth of emotion that suggest perhaps this pop princess has started to grow up. By Hannah Bae

Kelly Clarkson

“All I Ever Wanted”

Label: RCA Records

Genre: Pop