"The Kelly Clarkson Effect" Has Celine Dion, Jelly Roll & More Singers Talking
“You’re singing everybody’s songs better than they sing ‘em!” country star Lainey Wilson jokingly told Kelly Clarkson.
Whether she’s covering a classic Etta James song, one of Patsy Cline's most famous tunes, or a No. 1 hit by Hozier, Kelly Clarkson can sing literally anything. Time and time again on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the Grammy-winning musician blows viewers away with her beloved “Kellyoke” performances where she covers anything from timeless tracks to chart-topping songs. So much so that people are convinced “The Kelly Clarkson Effect” is very much a real thing.
Read on to learn all about what “The Kelly Clarkson Effect” is and how several fellow musicians have reacted to her jaw-dropping covers through the years.
What is “The Kelly Clarkson Effect”?
Coined by fans on social media, “The Kelly Clarkson Effect” refers to what happens when Clarkson covers a famous song on her talk show. She makes it her own, she takes it up a notch, and many believe it’s better than the original.
As one tweet put it, “No one covers a song like Kelly Clarkson…her ability to make it her own spans almost every genre.” And as another jokingly explained, “Once Kelly Clarkson does a cover of your song.. that’s it, pack up, you’re done. It’s her song, you don’t own it.”
The phenomenon was even mentioned at the 2024 Grammy Awards. During the ceremony, host Trevor Noah asked the winners to keep their acceptance speeches tight, or else they’d bring in the big guns. “If you go too long, there’s gonna be consequences, right?” he said. “We’re gonna get Kelly Clarkson to cover one of your songs better than you ever could.”
What’s more, Rolling Stone has also ranked Clarkson’s best “Kellyoke” covers, describing the task as "tough to narrow down."
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Lainey Wilson had the sweetest reaction to Kelly Clarkson covering her song
Back in 2023 during a show at Clarkson's Las Vegas Residency at The Bakkt Theater, she covered “Heart Like a Truck” by Lainey Wilson. A year later, the country star thanked Clarkson for doing so.
“I know that you covered ‘Heart Like a Truck,’ and I just want to tell you this. This is coming straight from my heart, even when you’re up here just covering everybody else’s songs, it’s not like you just learned the words and you got up there. I mean, you are feeling it for everything that it is,” Wilson said during a March 2024 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. “I just want to say thank you for doing that. That means so much to me that you got up there and sang ‘Heart Like a Truck.’"
“You’re singing everybody’s songs better than they sing ‘em!” Wilson jokingly added. “You better quit.”
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Jelly Roll “cried” watching Kelly Clarkson’s cover of his Grammy-nominated song “Save Me”
In February 2024, Clarkson shared her beautiful cover of “Save Me” by Jelly Roll, which had just been nominated for a Grammy Award. And the country rocker was moved by her performance.
“I would’ve never believed you if you would’ve told me that I’d write a song so impactful that incredible Kelly Clarkson would deem it worthy to cover,” Jelly Roll tweeted. “Thank you, Kelly — wow — I’m honored in a way I can’t even [describe] — I cried watching it.”
Months later, the two musicians joined forces for a soulful duet of Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay."
RELATED: Jelly Roll Reveals How the Lyrics to His Song “Save Me” Came to Him in a Dream
Coldplay reacted to Kelly Clarkson’s cover of “Fix You” with a lovely compliment
During a May 2024 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson performed a cover of Coldplay’s 2005 hit “Fix You” that even made her emotional. “How dare he write such a beautiful song,” Clarkson said as she wiped a tear from her eye.
The video caught the band’s attention who commented, “Beyond stunning.”
Kelly Clarkson’s cover of “My Heart Will Go On” brought Celine Dion to tears
In September 2024, Clarkson sang Celine Dion’s love song “My Heart Will Go On,” and the Canadian musician described the cover of the Titanic ballad as “monumental.”
“I just saw you singing ‘My Heart Will Go On,’ and I’m crying again,” Dion said in a video on her Facebook page. “You were absolutely incredible, fantastic. I loved it so much. I hope we can see each other in person soon.”
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From country to rock and countless other genres, Clarkson’s singing talent clearly knows no bounds.
