Kelly Clarkson Addresses Rumors Of Album ‘Struggle’

In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Kelly Clarkson spoke about the delays facing her latest release, “My December,” and her concern that people may find her new material to be too “negative.”

“I think the only thing that’s been really a struggle with this record is really just getting it out. So, yeah, we’ve had the record done for a while, and some people don’t like it and some people love it, so it’s hard to get people on your side…. They want ‘happy Kelly’ and I’m a very happy person, but it’s more so like I’m not — I’m a real person. It’s reality. I’m gonna show people the good times and bad times. The whole CD isn’t negative, it’s just it is more of a story and some of the story is kind of intense.”

In an interview with MTV Radio this week, Clarkson elaborated further on her struggle –reportedly indicating that the recording process may not have gone smoothly with her record label.

“Everybody always wants me to go in different directions,” she said. “Obviously they’re a record label so they need to sell records. They want the formula writers and the formula producers that do everybody else’s stuff, and while I love some of those people… and I don’t mind working with that…I just don’t like working with someone that gives you a song and is like, ‘Oh, I wrote this for you.’ But you find out that they’ve given it to every other artist and they turned it down, you know?”

She reportedly cited an incident in which her label offered her a song that was already done recently by another recording artist.

“My label literally sent me a Lindsay Lohan track from her last album and wanted me to record it for my new album. And while I like Lindsay Lohan, like I’m cool with her and I think she sings the song well… it’s already been on an album. I don’t care what pop star it is.”

She admitted to being put off by the gesture.

“They were just sending me stuff that was like almost insulting. I’m like, ‘You can’t even find new songs? You don’t want me to write my album but you’re sending me hand me downs?’ So, I ended up writing the entire thing with the people that I write well with.”

But Clarkson told the AP News last week, “You know what it is: This situation is just blown up. This record is no different from my other records. Every record I’ve come out with, people have not liked.”

The Grammy-winning pop star and original “American Idol” is signed to RCA Records, one of the labels Davis controls as chairman and CEO of BMG Label Group. She has been dogged by recent reports that Davis hated songs on her third album. Clarkson, who called the disc “really cool” and versatile, said artist-label disagreement — a reality in the music business — can be healthy.

“There’s always this battle, and it’s not a bad battle to have,” she explained to the AP. “I mean, you obviously don’t want `yes’ people around you. And, obviously, (Davis) and others at the label have been in the business far longer than I have. So you obviously take their opinions in.”

Along with the chart success of her new single, “Never Again,” new reports indicate that “My December” has been moved up to a June 26 release date from its previous release date of July 24. Perhaps Kelly’s diligence has paid off.

“I always go with my gut,” she told the AP . “My gut has obviously done pretty well for me thus far, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t keep listening to it.”