What doesn’t kill you makes you…WIN!

Kelegendary Clarkson just hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” the second single (and title track) from her fifth studio album, Stronger.

From Billboard:

In what an RCA Records representative terms a “perfect storm” of radio airplay, digital sales and pop culture prominence, Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” rises from No. 2 to No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. The uptempo pop anthem becomes the original “American Idol” champion’s third leader on the list.

Not only is this Clarkson’s first #1 since 2009′s “My Life Would Suck Without You,” but it’s also producer Greg Kurstin‘s first #1 single ever–a long overdue achievement. In other words? A whole lot of celebrating is in order!

Congratulations, Ms. Slay It All! You did it!

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – The Remixes was released on February 3. (iTunes)

Before Madonna set the arena ablaze during her half time performance at last night’s Super Bowl XLVI, Queen Kelly Clarkson took to the field to kick off the game with a performance of the national anthem.

Backed by a massive children’s choir, the powerhouse chanteuse absolutely knocked it out of the park–err, arena! Not only did she look gorgeous, but she sounded incredible, delivering a thoroughly melodic, controlled performance of the song. Then again: Who’s surprised? She always nails it.

As for something slightly more out of left field (all this sports references–dad’s going to be so proud!): Earlier in the weekend, Kelly also performed a cover of Madonna’s “Crazy For You” (!) as the fan request during her show in Bossier City. While we already knew Dumb + Dumb = You, we can now confirm that Kelly + Madonna = SO MUCH WIN.

Really! It’s absolutely gorgeous. So romantic, so sweetly-sung…le swoon.

Check out Mizz Clarkson slaying the anthem above, and check out a video from the audience during her cover of “Crazy For You” below!

Stronger was released on October 24. (iTunes)

Congratulations are in order!

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”–the second single off of Kelly Clarkson‘s fifth studio album Stronger–has just leaped from #21 to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, meaning that this is Kelly’s second Top 10 hit from the new album. YES!

As with the slow burn success of “Mr. Know It All,” “Stronger” climbed at radio (and digital) for several weeks before finally bursting into the Top 10 this week.

From Billboard:

Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” roars into the Hot 100′s top 10 (21-8) on the strength of an 11-3 vault on Digital Songs (175,000, up 48%) and a 71-44 flight on Radio Songs (29 million, up 73%). With “Mr. Know It All,” the first single from her album “Stronger,” having peaked at No. 10, Clarkson posts her first back-to-back Hot 100 top 10s (excluding last month’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” which was not actively promoted to radio) since the first four singles from her album “Breakaway” hit the top tier consecutively in 2004-05.

You hear that? The first back-to-back Top 10′s since 2004′s Breakaway!

Now bring on “Let Me Down” and “You Love Me” as Singles #3 and #4 and let’s keep this reign running through 2012!

Step aside, Legendtina: There’s a new Superbowl chanteuse in town–and it’s Kelly Clarkson!

Picking up where Fumbletina left off, Kelegendary Clarkson will perform the national anthem during Superbowl XLVI on February 5 in Indianapolis according to Billboard, which is also where Madonna, Queen of The World, will perform (along with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj) during the halftime show.

But don’t get too excited: From what I’m being told, the national anthem is apparently some old song about spangled banners from, like, the 19th century or whatever and not the amazing Lana Del Rey song, “National Anthem.”

Regardless…Kelly? Madonna? Um, BEST SUPERBOWL EVER? Why, I think most definitely yes.

Last night, Queen Kelegendary Clarkson took to the stage of Saturday Night Live for the third time in her career to perform two cuts off of her latest incredible LP released back in October, Stronger.

Naturally, the performances were simply killer and Clarkson’s vocals were oh so spot on, including (arguably) her best live rendition yet of “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” and a thoroughly gorgeous performance of Stronger‘s lead single, “Mr. Know It All.” (No honky-tonk interpretations of the song ever again, okay K. Clarks?)

A great job, as per usual. There’s just a few short days before Queen Clarkson embarks on the Stronger Tour. I’m SO pumped to see her slay Radio City in two weeks…I’m already trembling at the thought!

Watch both of the performances below the cut!

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The giving season’s far from over, as Kelly Clarkson‘s finally unleashed her 8-track iTunes Sessions EP today on iTunes, which includes fantastic live performances of both signature anthems (“Since U Been Gone,” “My Life Would Suck Without You”) and cuts from Stronger, including “Mr. Know It All,” “You Can’t Win,” and title track “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger).”

My personal favorite of the bunch is Clarkson’s acoustic take on her 2007 hit “Never Again” (listen above), which strips back the crashing drums and scowling guitars of the original and relies instead on a single gorgeous piano melody, turning the song from a fire ‘n’ brimstone anthem into something much more vulnerable. It’s utterly chilling–and ten times better than the original, in my opinion.

Her cover of “Why Don’t You Try,” originally recorded by Eric Hutchinson and included as an iTunes bonus track from Stronger, is another major highlight–as Clarkson powerfully belts out the soulful “The Trouble With Love Is”-esque ballad with nearly studio version accuracy (or rather, it’s superior to the studio version.)

There’s even an in-depth interview (over a half hour long!) included, in which Kelly discusses her decision to sign with her label, her writing, her involvement in the recording process, and her thoughts on her individual records. She even picks the 5 Kelly Clarkson songs she’d give to someone on their iPod: “Because Of You,” “Walk Away,” “Irvine,” “You Love Me” and “Beautiful Disaster (Live).” Amazing!

Clarkson’s iTunes Session EP was released on December 27. (iTunes)

Kelly Clarkson, you lovable goon.

Just this morning, the powerhouse vocalist premiered the video for her upcoming single “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger),” the title track off of her off-the-charts amazing fifth studio album, Stronger. And it’s amazing!

Suited in some unexpected futuristic garb (looking HOT, Miss C!), it seems as though Ms. Clarkson’s accidentally wandered onto the set of Brit Brit‘s intergalactic masterpiece “Hold It Against Me” to get a closer look on the monitors at some of her biggest fans around the world working it out to her latest single.

Though I was initially nervous about the whole ‘flash mob’ element to the video, the inclusion of fan clips is pretty seamless–plus, it’s a sweet little show of appreciation by Miss Kelly!

The video mainly alternates between the fan-submitted clips and a few signature K. Clarkson video elements, including a ‘rocking out with the band’ scene and a ‘singing into an old-timey microphone’ scene. But wait until the last minute, because the greatest thing ever happens: She dances!

Yes–that’s Kelly Clarkson DANCING! And you know what? She looks amazing! Actually, she looks totally adorkable. I love how much fun she’s having, and she looks totally sexy and confident to boot. She’s such a genuinely incredible role model. And those karate skills? Simply unparalleled!

All in all, the perfect combination of strong and silly. WIN, WIN, WIN!

“What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” was released to US radio and will be released February 5 in the UK. (iTunes)

There’s no way around it: 2011 was an astoundingly good year in pop music.

Not since the 2007 reign of Kylie‘s X, Britney‘s Blackout, Rihanna‘s Good Girl Gone Bad and Girl’s Aloud‘s Tangled Up has there been such a strong showing in pop: We found love in the most hopeless of places, hung onto a moment and danced to the beat of our drums ’til the world ended (well, until next year anyway.)

As per usual, I’ve hemmed and hawed over a final ranking for my favorite records released over the past year. Although I wasn’t initially going to rank them numerically (YAY–everybody wins!), I ultimately realized that was just a cop-out.

Nonetheless, every album featured on this list deserves to be on included on everyone’s iPods and Spotify/iTunes libraries (or, dare I say it, in your CD players), because they’re all beautiful in their way.

Now, I present my Top 25 Albums of 2011. And if you’re not satisfied with the ranking? Please…don’t hold it against me.

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