Ahead of the release of her tenth studio album, Chemistry, Kelly Clarkson dropped two new tracks from the project, both of which seemed to hint at what led to the end of her marriage to Brandon Blackstock.
Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock in June 2020 following seven years of marriage.
In "Mine," Clarkson suggests that her partner wasn't trustworthy, beginning the song with, "You know I question every motive, everything you say / Thought with you maybe my heart wasn't meant to break / Can't believe I let you in, I can't believe I stayed / As long as I stayed."
Later, she expresses her wish for her partner to eventually endure what she endured for him: "I hope one day someone will take your heart and hold it tight / Make you feel like you're invincible deep inside / And right when you think that you'll try again, they cross a line / And steal your shine like you did mine."
The bridge also hints at a form of betrayal, with Clarkson singing, "And you keep talkin', it'll come back, karma / Is the truth, I don't make you look bad, you do, darlin' / Sabotage, your choice of art / Who the hell do you think you are?"
Clarkson's next song, "Me," describes her embrace of her newfound independence after getting out of an all-consuming relationship.
She sings, "Too much I've had to live for, put my life on hold for / I'm always pleasin' someone, honestly, now I'm done."
She also details a partner who was too insecure in the face of her own confidence, with lyrics like, "I told you I wanted you (I told you) / But you needed me to need you (Needed me to need you) / Your insecurity was the death of you and me (Oh)" and "'Cause I don't need somebody to scold me / Don't need somebody that hurts me / Don't need somebody who feels weak standin' next to me."
Read the full lyrics to both songs below.
"Mine"
You know I question every motive, everything you sayThought with you maybe my heart wasn't meant to break
Can't believe I let you in, I can't believe I stayed
As long as I stayed, yeah
I hope one day someone will take your heart and hold it tight
Make you feel like you're invincible deep inside
And right when you think that it's perfect, they cross a line
And steal your shine like you did mine
Go ahead and break my hеart, that's fine (So unkind)
Eternal sunshine of thе spotless mind (Oh, love is blind)
Why am I missin' you tonight? (Was it all a lie?)
Someone's gonna show you how a heart can be used
Like you did mine
I'm losin' hope in love and I've lost all in faith
Yeah, for a dreamer, I just close my eyes and it's all blank
I have you to thank, yeah
I hope one day someone will take your heart and hold it tight
Make you feel like you're invincible deep inside
And right when you think that you'll try again, they cross a line
And steal your shine like you did mine
Go ahead and break my heart, that's fine (So unkind)
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind (Oh, love is blind)
Why am I missin' you tonight? (Was it all a lie?)
Someone's gonna show you how a heart can be used
And you keep talkin', it'll come back, karma
Is the truth, I don't make you look bad, you do, darlin'
Sabotage, your choice of art
Who the hell do you think you are?
Go ahead and break my heart, that's fine
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
Why am I missin' you tonight?
Someone's gonna show you how a heart can be used
Like you did mine
"Me"
Buried myself into somebody elseShut out some parts of me, did it so casually
I guess I needed that to be able to step back
I lived my life without me, I never allowed me to
Too much I've had to live for, put my life on hold for
I'm always pleasin' someone, honestly, now I'm done
I don't need somebody to hold me
Don't need somebody to love me
Don't need somebody to pick these pieces up
I put together my broken
Let go of the pain I'vе been holdin'
Don't need to need somebody
When I got me
Lovеd you so much, took an army to pull me up
But now on the other side, I remembered I could fly
I told you I wanted you (I told you)
But you needed me to need you (Needed me to need you)
Your insecurity was the death of you and me (Oh)
Too many times you questioned what were my intentions (Ooh, yeah)
I never gave you reasons, you're the one with secrets
I don't need somebody to hold me (Oh no)
Don't need somebody to love me (Oh yeah)
Don't need somebody to pick these pieces up (Pick these pieces up)
I put together my broken
Let go of the pain I've been holdin'
Don't need to need somebody (Don't need, I don't need)
When I got me
(When I got, when I got, when I got me)
When I got me
(When I got, when I got, when I got me)
Yeah, yeah, when I got me
I bet you feel the absence of my love every night (Ooh, ooh)
There's no one else, you are the reason I said goodbye
'Cause I don't need somebody to scold me
Don't need somebody that hurts me
Don't need somebody who feels weak standin' next to me
I put together my broken
Let go of your hand I've been holdin' (Let go)
Don't need to need somebody
When I got me
(When I got, when I got, when I got me)
When I got me
(When I got, when I got, when I got me)
Yeah
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
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