Kelly Clarkson has once again delivered a jaw-dropping Kellyoke performance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. For the January 23, 2023 episode, she took a stab at Taylor Swift's version of "Better Man," which Swift originally wrote and the band Little Big Town recorded. TayTay laid down vocals to the track for the 2021 re-release of Red, and Clarkson's cover is just stunning.
Of course, we know Clarkson is a bonafide Swiftie. She performed Reputation's "Delicate" and Lover's "You Need to Calm Down" during her Kellyoke segment in Season 1 of The Kelly Clarkson Show. But as soon as she and her in-house band, Y'all, took the stage for "Better Man," we knew we were about to get something special.
Clarkson's vocals and Swift's lyrics blended beautifully for an emotionally raw performance. Looks-wise, Kel and her band sported football jerseys for the NFL-themed episode, and they were accompanied by dreamy blue lighting for the country cover.
Kelly Clarkson has the mesmerizing vocal ability to take any song and turn it into an emotionally-poignant masterpiece. Pair this with Swift's other-worldly talent for gut-wrenching lyricism—especially on songs about love and heartbreak—and you've got something truly singular. Clarkson's passion took center stage here as she effortlessly sang every note in the song. Each moment of Clarkson's performance was more emotional than the last, and with her final belting moment, she proved once again that she's a vocal legend and a gift to the music industry.
Originally written by Swift leading up to her 2012 album Red, "Better Man" was scrapped from the track list and remained unheard by the public until the country-turned-pop star sent it to Little Big Town in 2016. The Alabama quartet released the track as the lead single off their 2017 album The Breaker.
Season 23 of The Voice premieres March 6th, and Clarkson is bringing her A-game as a Coach...even if she secretly hopes her rival Blake Shelton will take home the crown during his final season. "Will I go any easier on Blake knowing it's his last season? Do you know me at all? No!" Clarkson teased in an interview with NBC Insider. "Do I hope secretly that he wins his last season? Maybe. But am I going to let him have it? No! I'm going to work for my Artists, and I hope they win!"
"I know the bravest thing I ever did was run," the three-time Grammy winner effortlessly belted, she and her entire band sporting football jerseys for the talk show's special NFL-themed episode Monday (Jan. 23). "Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I can feel you again/ But I just miss you, and I just wish you were a better man."
