Kelly Clarkson dug into Taylor Swift‘s storied songbook by covering “Clean” on her eponymous talk show Wednesday (April 12).
Glammed out in a black dress and chunky studded belt with her hair up in a rare ponytail, the original American Idol winner did the beloved 1989 closer justice as she sang, “Hung my head as I lost the war/ And the sky turned black like a perfect storm/ Rain came pourin’ down/ When I was drownin’/ That’s when I could finally breathe/ And by morning/ Gone was any trace of you/ I think I am finally clean/ I think I am finally clean.”
The song choice felt particularly profound considering Clarkson’s on the verge of rolling out Chemistry, her long-awaited album following her divorce from music manager Brandon Blackstock, starting with lead single “Mine / Me” this Friday (April 14). In fact, she’s already teased a few snippets of the breakup ballad on social media with defiant lyrics such as “‘Cause I don’t need somebody to scold me/ Don’t need somebody that hurts me/ Don’t need somebody who feels weak/ Standing next to me.”
Meanwhile, Swift surprised the sold-out crowd in Arlington, Texas, by performing a piano version of “Clean” on the second night of her Eras Tour stop at AT&T Stadium on April 1. During the show, she paired the fan-favorite ballad with the equally loved “Death By a Thousand Cuts” off 2019’s Lover, leading some Swifties to wonder in hindsight if she was quietly dropping clues about her recent reported breakup with Joe Alwyn before the news became public.
Watch Clarkson power through Swift’s “Clean” below.
