Thankful (Kelly Clarkson album)

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Thankful
Thankful cover
Studio album by Kelly Clarkson
Released April 15, 2003 (2003-04-15)
(see release history)
Recorded 2002-2003
Genre Pop, R&B, pop rock, soul
Length 45:48
Label RCA
Professional reviews
Kelly Clarkson chronology
Thankful
(2003)		 Breakaway
(2004)
Alternate cover
Japanese edition
Singles from Thankful
  1. "A Moment Like This / Before Your Love"
    Released: September 17, 2002
  2. "Miss Independent"
    Released: May 2003
  3. "Low"
    Released: August 25, 2003
  4. "The Trouble with Love Is"
    Released: December 2003

Thankful is the debut album by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson, released in the United States by RCA on April 15, 2003 (see 2003 in music). "A Moment Like This" was its first single, followed by "Miss Independent", "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is".

Initially scheduled for a November 2002 release, the album was a success when it was eventually released. It debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200 with 297,000 copies sold. "Miss Independent" went on to be a Top 10 hit in the US. Further singles "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is" failed to replicate this success. Still, the album went on to be certified double platinum, with almost 3 million copies shipped.

The album's success was more limited internationally, however, selling a mere 900,000 copies outside of the United States. This is probably due to the fact that "Thankful" didn't get a major international release.

Contents

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical reception

Critical response for "Thankful" were generally positive. On Metacritic, a website that compiles various reviews, the album received a score of 62, indicating generally favorable reviews.[1] Entertainment Weekly noted that "Clarkson glides through octaves with the masterful control of someone who's been doing this for decades".[2] Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars, praising Clarkson's talent and vocal abilities, while criticizing the album for feeling manufactured. They note that "[her] high notes are sweet and pillowy, her growl is bone-shaking and sexy, and her midrange is amazingly confident for a pop posy whose career is tied for eternity to the whims of her American Idol overlords". [3]

[edit] Sales and chart performance

Release of the album was preceded by the single "Miss Independent", which become a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit and a #1 top 40 smash. In thanks to the success of the single, as well as buzz from her American Idol win (Clarkson also appeared several times on the show's second season to promote Thankful), the album sold well in the United States. It managed to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 297,000 copies sold. The album sold over 1 million copies in six weeks[4]. The album's success was more limited internationally, however, selling a mere 900,000 copies outside of the United States.

Further single releases "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is" did not replicate the success of the previous single. "Just Missed the Train" and "You Thought Wrong" had been planned for possible single releases, but after the underperformance of "Low" and "The Trouble with Love Is", they were canceled.[5]

Year Chart Position
2003 Billboard 200 1
2003 Japan Oricon Top 100 19
2003 UK BPI Top 75 41
2003 Ireland Top 100 46
2003 Netherlands Albums Top 50 83
2003 Australian Top 50 33

[edit] Track listing

  1. "The Trouble with Love Is" (Kelly Clarkson, Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken) – 3:42
  2. "Miss Independent" (Christina Aguilera, Clarkson, Rhett Lawrence, Matt Morris) – 3:35
  3. "Low" (Jimmy Harry) – 3:28
  4. "Some Kind of Miracle" (Diane Warren) – 3:39
  5. "What's Up Lonely" (Rogers, Stephanie Saraco, Sturken) – 4:09
  6. "Just Missed the Train" (Danielle Brisebois, Scott Cutler) – 4:12
  7. "Beautiful Disaster" (Rebekah Jordan, Matthew Wilder) – 4:12
  8. "You Thought Wrong" (featuring Tamyra Gray) (Clarkson, Babyface, Gray, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas) – 3:51
  9. "Thankful" (Clarkson, Edmonds, Mason, Thomas) – 3:02
  10. "Anytime" (Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters) – 4:08
  11. "A Moment Like This" - 3:48
  12. "Before Your Love" - 3:59
  13. "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Carole King Larkey, Gerald Wexler, Gerry Goffin) - 2:36 (Japanese edition)

[edit] Release history

Initially, the album had been scheduled to be released in November of 2002, only a few months after the completion of the first season of American Idol.[6] However, Clarkson's demanding schedule and difficulty finding tracks that suited her taste and image forced the album to be delayed several times. By the time the album was released, over six months had elapsed since "A Moment Like This" had hit #1. Because of this, as well as the song's status as a "bonus track" on the album, has led to some debate as to whether "A Moment Like This" constitutes the album's first single, or if it is "Miss Independent", which Clarkson debuted on the April 9, 2003 episode of the second season of American Idol, a mere week before her album was released.

Region Date Label Format Catalog
United States April 15, 2003 RCA CD
United Kingdom July 7, 2003 CD
Australia September 15, 2003 CD
Brazil December 18, 2006 Sony BMG CD

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Thankful by Kelly Clarkson", Metacritic, 24 February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-24. 
  2. ^ "Thankful by Kelly Clarkson", Entertainment Weekly, 25 April 2003. Retrieved on 2008-02-24. 
  3. ^ "Kelly Clarkson - Thankful", Rolling Stone, 15 May 2003. Retrieved on 2008-02-24. 
  4. ^ Clarkson slipping into a sales slump. USA Today (2007-08-10). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  5. ^ Kelly Clarkson Hits The Roof For New Clip, Plans DVD. MTV (2003-11-06). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  6. ^ "For The Record: Quick News On Kelly Clarkson And Justin Guarini, Eve, D12, Ben Lee, Sheryl Crow & More", 13 December 2002. Retrieved on 2008-02-24. 

[edit] Notes

  • Two songs originally on the album, "Trace of Gold" and "Today for Me", were replaced just before the album release by "Anytime" and "A Moment Like This". Early released versions of the CD still show the original tracks on players that read the data from the CD itself (such as Windows Media Player). The two songs have yet to be heard by the general public.
  • Copies of Thankful sold during its first year of release contained a computer program that could be loaded, and used with the internet for artist updates and music videos. The program ceased to function when her official RCA website was launched.
Preceded by
Faceless by Godsmack		 Billboard 200 number-one album
May 3 - May 9, 2003		 Succeeded by
American Life by Madonna
v • d • e
Kelly Clarkson
Albums
Thankful • Breakaway • My December
Singles
Other charted songs
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