Kelly Clarkson

“Walk Away”

Dir. Joseph Kahn



As a closet Kelly Clarkson fan, I had high expectations for her most recent video. I already know all the words to this song and, yes, belt them at the top of my lungs when my roommates aren’t home. Despite this, I have to admit that she has a tendency to make bad music videos, and her latest is the worst yet.

Let’s start with her deteriorating image and fashion sense. She began her “American Idol” career as that sweet girl next door, but now she’s trying to pull off the rock-star look and failing miserably, as expected. Her trashy new style includes heavy black eyeliner, some chains dangling about her midriff, and one too many obnoxiously large metal rings. She has already fulfilled her pop-princess obligation to go blonde a while ago, but I’d venture to say that the worst part of the video is her atrocious hairdo which makes her look even more like a Gwen Stefani wannabe. Yet no matter how hard she tries, Kelly Clarkson will never be able to achieve the sex appeal of say, Britney Spears; she tries to gyrate her hips at a few points in the video, but her movements end up being painfully awkward rather than even remotely alluring.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it turns out that the entire video is based on people embarrassing themselves. It juxtaposes shots of random people singing along to “Walk Away” as it plays on the radio, making utter fools of themselves in the office, in the locker room, and even in a broom closet. And all these average-looking folk seem to be reveling in their tone deafness while they repulse everyone around them.

If this is what most Kelly Clarkson fans look like, then I think I’ll stay in the closet.

—Jennifer Y. Kan