I've listened to "Breakaway" 4 or 5 times now (and some particular songs much more than that). Not only is Kelly's voice powerful, so are her lyrics. I'm impressed by the maturity in these songs.
Like "Because Of You"--
And "Gone"--
These aren't the kind of songs we usually hear from someone Kelly's age--thank goodness! These are songs that anybody can relate to, not just angst-filled teenagers.
I like all the songs, except for one--"I Hate Myself For Losing You". The lyrics bother me.
Geez, lighten up, Kelly!
"Breakaway" is a great album, but at times it's a little too dark, IMO. I would have liked to hear Kelly sing some slightly happier songs--I don't mean fluff, we have enough of that. Just something that's not so serious. Something that shows she can be mature and smile at the same time :)
"Because of You" is one of my favorites. It was written by Kelly when she was about 16 or 17. David Hodges and Ben Moody helped her polish it up for inclusion in the album. The three of them also collaborated to write my favorite song from the album, "Addicted." According to info on the Kelly fan boards I frequent, "Because of You" might be the next single released from the album.
With the exception of "Breakaway" and "You Found Me," the lyrics on the album are dark. And I agree that it would be great to see her do something brighter. But I think the idea was for her to literally break totally away from the bubble gum pop junk of the Britney Spears type (and the glorified karaoke of AI), and establish Kelly as a serious musical artist. So they went light rock with very edgy lyrics -- and wound up with a smash hit album.
"Breakaway," the song, is the big surprise to me. It was an Avril Lavigne throwaway -- too sweet for what she was about musically.
Disney was looking for various young female singers to do the music for their "Princess Diaries 2." Someone recommended Kelly to them, and somehow Kelly and the song were put together. It's only one of several songs used for the film, only the chorus is used, and only once in the film. But that, and Kelly's voice, was all it took. It's the only song on the PD2 soundtrack to become a hit. And what a hit. Wow! I think it was released last July. Last summer, anyway. Here we are nearly a year later, and the song is still high on the charts, is still being played a lot on radio, and seems on its way to becoming a standard.
The interesting thing about "Breakaway," the song, is that it goes totally against what's happening in contemporary music.
So does Kelly, herself, for that matter. Although she's a pretty girl, she's certainly not a classic beauty. She's a down-to-earth young woman who is sort of the antithesis of the modern pop tarts and princesses. She certainly isn't a superstar, yet. But if she can get a Grammy nod or two, and follow this album up with another good album, she might make it to that level.
Bringing this conversation full circle back to AI, the strange thing is that the producers and judges never wanted Kelly to win. Their favorite that year was Tamyra Gray, and it was a big to-do when Tamyra only made it to the #4 spot. There were charges of racism and similar nonsense. Simon has said many times that he didn't really notice Kelly until about mid way through the final weeks. The ones they did want in the first three seasons -- Tamyra, Ruben and Fantasia -- haven't achieved anywhere near the success of that young woman from Burleson, TX.
I think Carrie and Bo have the potential to become successful, each in their own genre. Even with the boost from AI, it's still a tough, cold business. Kelly has shown the way, which is to make music that really suits what they are about musically. I'm hoping for the best for both of them.