Kelly Clarkson kicked off the Thursday (Sept. 22) episode of her eponymous talk show with a stunning rendition of Anita Ward‘s 1979 classic “Ring My Bell.”
Rather than leaning into the slinky disco of the original recording, the American Idol winner transformed the song into a haunting, chill-inducing ballad. “I’m glad you’re home/ Now did you really miss me? I guess you did by the look in your eye/ Well lay back and relax/ While I put away the dishes/ Then you and me can rock-a-bye/ You can ring my bell, ring my bell/ You can ring my bell, ring my bell,” she wailed over sinister guitar and crashing percussion.
Released at the tail end of the ’70s, “Ring My Bell” shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the lone hit of Ward’s career, earning her a nomination for best female R&B vocal performance at the Grammy Awards the following year.
Clarkson, who just received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is currently filming season 4 of The Kelly Clarkson Show in New York City. So far, she’s littered the season with Kellyoke picks that have included Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York,” Florence + the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over,” Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine,” “Losing My Mind” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies” and more. (She’s also duetted with Garth Brooks on “New York State of Mind” and delivered her first cover entirely in Spanish in the form of Silvana Estrada’s “Mas o Menos Antes.”)
Watch Clarkson belt out “Ring My Bell” below.
