Over the past eight years, Kelly Clarkson has proven herself to be an admirable pop star, selling over 23 million albums worldwide. Why then, is the question on everyone’s lips, is she playing the Olympia Theatre tonight when she could easily fill the O2? “The last time I played in Ireland, it was in a hangar,” she offers by way of explanation. “I’m a sucker for theatre shows. I like seeing everyone’s faces”.
If intimacy is high on Clarkson’s agenda, then so is independence. Hits old and new are thrown into the 80-minute set, sure – but beautifully soulful covers of The Black Keys’ ‘Lies’ and Patsy Cline’s ‘I Go Walking After Midnight’ are standouts, leaving an acoustic version of her own ‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ sounding somewhat flat in their wake. Despite her major label status, the Texan is apparently free to indulge her own musical tastes in the live forum.
The whole show is something of a conundrum. Clarkson’s enduring popularity is partly due to her unwillingness to conform to the stereotypical ‘pop star’ image - yet there’s no doubt that this gig would have been more enjoyable on a bigger stage, and perhaps with a few overblown effects. Her band, competent as they are, are hardly visually appealing – and isn’t that an essential element of a pop show? Even her most outstanding song, the brilliant ‘Since U Been Gone’, seems to lack its usual fist-pumping euphoria in such a confined space. It begs the question: does a pop star have to sacrifice their wits for glitz? In any case, it seems like Clarkson has garnered a devoted fanbase while treading the middle-ground.
Lauren Murphy