All I Ever Wanted (album)
All I Ever Wanted is the fourth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on March 6, 2009, by RCA Records. After the controversies that surrounded her previous studio album, My December (2007), which was seen as much darker than her two previous albums, Clarkson went on to record a more pop-oriented album. In order to do so, she enlisted her previous collaborators Max Martin, Dr. Luke, (whom she worked with on her 2004 second album, Breakaway), Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello (whom she worked with on her 2003 debut album Thankful), and new collaborators, Ryan Tedder, Howard Benson and Dre & Vidal.
For the Kirsty MacColl album, see All I Ever Wanted: The Anthology.All I Ever Wanted
March 6, 2009
2008
50:28 (Standard)
58:49 (Deluxe)
Originally entitled Masquerade, its title was changed due to the similarities to those of other albums released at the same time, such as Pink's Funhouse (2008) and Britney Spears' Circus (2008). All I Ever Wanted was considered lighter and less angry than her previous effort, though it also features pop rock and pop punk-inspired songs, as well as dance and soul. Its cartoon-colored artwork was criticized by reviewers and Clarkson herself for using too much Photoshop. All I Ever Wanted mainly deals with themes of romantic relationships, dignity, independence and emotional truthfulness.
The album received generally favorable reviews from most music critics, who praised her approach with mainstream music, without losing her identity and personality. Her vocals were also praised, but a few critics called the album "hackneyed" and "overworked". The album was also a success, debuting at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming her second to do so, and peaking inside the top-ten in more than ten countries. It was certified platinum in Australia and Canada, and gold in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
Three singles were released from the album worldwide: "My Life Would Suck Without You" was the lead single and became Clarkson's second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and also the biggest leap to number one on the same chart; it also topped the charts of Canada and the United Kingdom. Its second single, "I Do Not Hook Up", fared well, though it was moderate in some countries, while the third, "Already Gone", was more successful but faced controversies due to its similarity to Beyoncé's "Halo"; both co-written and produced by Tedder. The album's title track was released as a radio single only in the U.S., while "Cry" was released only in selected territories. To promote the album, Clarkson embarked on the All I Ever Wanted Summer Fair Tour and the All I Ever Wanted Tour, between 2009 and 2010.
Title and artwork[edit]
On January 2, 2009, The Wall Street Journal published an article about the upcoming albums of 2009, and Clarkson's fourth studio album was among them. At the time, RCA general manager Tom Corson claimed she was "in a period where she wants to take on the pop world again." [...] "She's ready, and she's got all the right support."[34] The newspaper also revealed its working title, Masquerade.[34] However, Clarkson changed it to All I Ever Wanted, since she felt the title was too similar to other pop albums released near the time of her album, such as Britney Spears' Circus (2008) and P!nk's Funhouse (2008).[15] Its cartoon-colored, airbrushed cover art[21] was revealed on January 9, 2009. As Rolling Stone's Daniel Kreps described, "the cover depicts a shiny, happy Clarkson, one ready to step out of the shadows of the brooding My December and reclaim her pop throne."[35] Kreps opined that the cover resembles another "comeback album"—Spears's Circus.[35] The cover faced some controversy due to the heavy usage of Photoshop.[35][36][37] Clarkson herself commented, "We decided the cover of the album and just in case you haven't seen it I'll post it! It's very colorful and they have definitely Photoshopped the crap out of me—but I don't care, haha! Whoever she is, she looks great, ha!."[38]
Singles[edit]
The album's first single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", had its artwork revealed on January 5, 2009, and it shows "Clarkson sporting a wide-eyed [...] look and a heart-shaped lollipop."[39] It was released to airplay on January 13, 2009 and three days later was made available for digital download. On January 28, 2009, Billboard announced that the single went from number 97 to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making the biggest leap to the top in the chart's history, as well as marking Clarkson's second US number-one single, and her first in seven years.[40] Elsewhere, it was a chart success, also reaching the top of the Canadian and UK charts, and the top 10 in over ten countries.[41] Its music video leaked on January 28, 2009, and it shows Clarkson and her boyfriend having a dysfunctional relationship.[42]
"I Do Not Hook Up" was released to Russian radio on March 31, 2009, as the second single off the album.[5] The cover art for the single was released on March 26, 2009.[43] The music video for the song, directed by Bryan Barber, was shot in March 2009 and released on April 20, 2009 on MTV.[44] As described by Clarkson, the video is about "how the girl is a good girl, she doesn't hook up. But inside her head, every time she turns around, she's fantasizing. So she's hooking up in her fantasies, but never in real life."[44] The song was a moderate success on the charts, reaching number nine in Australia, the top 20 in Canada and the US, and the top 40 in other six countries.[45]
"Already Gone" was sent to US radio on August 11, 2009 as the album's third single.[46] The single's artwork was released on July 8, 2009.[47] The song faced controversy due to its similarity to another Ryan Tedder-produced track, Beyoncé's "Halo", with Clarkson going as far as trying to prevent the single's release, but her label chose to release it anyway.[48][49][50] In the United States, the song was more successful than "I Do Not Hook Up", reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending eight consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart.[51] Elsewhere, it reached the top twenty in four countries, and the top forty in another four countries.[52] The music video was directed by Joseph Kahn and released on July 27, 2009. Kahn was dissatisfied with the end result of the video, which shows Clarkson "singing in various luxurious locations while violins play themselves."[53]
The album's title track, "All I Ever Wanted", was released as the fourth and final single in the United States.[54] It was officially sent to US radio on March 9, 2010,[55] and to the US and Canadian iTunes Store for download on March 15, 2010.[56] It only peaked at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[57] while being more successful on the Adult Pop Songs sub-chart, where it reached number 11.[58] Meanwhile, "Cry" was released as the fourth single in Germany and Australia and as the fifth single overall. It was released as a digital download in Germany on March 12, 2010[59] and sent to Australian radio on March 15, 2010.[60] It became the second most added song to radio in Australia the week it was sent for airplay.[61] The song was also covered by Lea Michele in the Glee episode "Choke" on May 1, 2012.[62]
Commercial performance[edit]
All I Ever Wanted debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one with sales of 255,000 copies, becoming the second time Clarkson topped the chart; her debut set, Thankful, also began at number one with 297,000 copies sold in its first week in 2003.[98] In its second week, the album remained at the top, with 90,000 copies,[99] whilst in its third week, it fell to number five, selling 52,000 copies.[100] As of September 2017, the album has sold 1,004,000 copies in the United States, becoming her fourth highest-selling album of her career, behind Thankful (2003), Breakaway (2004) and Stronger (2011).[101] In Canada, it debuted at number 2, becoming her highest debut along with her previous album, My December (2007), selling 15,000 copies.[102] In Australia, it also debuted at number two, becoming her highest debut along with Breakaway (2004).[103] It was later certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for exceeding 70,000 copies.[104] In New Zealand, the album debuted at number six; also her highest since Breakaway.[105]
In the United Kingdom, the album sold 40,000 copies and debuted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.[106] As of June 2012, All I Ever Wanted has sold 197,817 copies in the United Kingdom.[107] The album also debuted inside the top ten of the album charts in Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland.[108][109][110][111][112][113] In Spain, the album reached number forty, becoming her highest debut of her career, while tying with Stronger years later.[114] Meanwhile, in Sweden, it became her second and last album, so far, to reach the top-twenty, debuting at number fifteen.[115] In contrast, in Finland, the album became her first to miss the top-twenty; though it was her last to chart there.[116]