Kelly Clarkson Reflects on Making ‘Chemistry’: I Didn’t Want It to Be a Divorce Album’

Kelly Clarkson rang in the weekend with the release of the deluxe edition of her latest album Chemistry. To celebrate its arrival, the American Idol alum appeared on the Today show Friday (Sept. 22) to discuss the project and shared that, contrary to popular belief, it is not a divorce album.

The “Stronger” singer told the hosts that the LP — her first album of original, non-holiday songs since her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock — was written from a “super personal” place.

“It’s a hard record. It was hard to make, but it’s also not just [about] the bad of a relationship. … I didn’t want it to be a divorce album; I wanted it to be a relationship album. And there’s good stuff on there, like ‘Favorite Kind of High.’ There’s good parts,” she explained. “It wasn’t all bad, so I wanted to celebrate that as a whole. For the most part, it’s sad. But that’s how I work through what’s going on with me: through writing.”

The three-time Grammy winner also took a moment to shed light on her daughter, River Rose, hopping on her track “You Don’t Make Me Cry.” Speaking on behalf of River, Clarkson said, “She’s so excited” to be featured and explained that her daughter was only 5 years old when she worked on the song. “I recorded it not that long ago and we loved it and it fit in with the record. She came into the studio and said, ‘Can I sing?’ My producer took my vocal off completely and just let her sing on the track,” she gushed.

Elsewhere on the show, Clarkson took to the Today stage to sing her hit “Since U Been Gone.”

Watch Clarkson’s interview in the video above.