It’s no secret that Kelly Clarkson and Sam Smith are two of the most talented vocalists in pop music now, and audiences got a real treat when the dynamic duo teamed up on Clarkson’s hit “Breakaway”. Of course, Clarkson just sang like a bird as she always does, but what made this performance really special was hearing Smith’s take on the song, and how beautifully the pair harmonized in the chorus.
Clarkson opened the song with a smoky low register, then Smith took the second verse, and the sound of his voice was just made for this song. It’s not often that you get to see so much vocal firepower together on one stage, and when it came time for them to sing the chorus together, Smith’s lower timbre added something really special as Clarkson’s voice soared to the sky.
Smith dropped in to sing the duet on the Kelly Clarkson Show on October 11, 2022. Ever gracious, Clarkson said, “I’m so honoured that Sam could sing it with me. Sam has one of the most amazing voices in all of the land.” Fans loved to hear the two stars sing together, adding comments such as “This needs to be released ASAP” and “She is the queen of duets. She’s always so gracious and knows just what to do to compliment the other singer and create a beautiful moment with them.”
“Breakaway” has a curious history, as it was actually written by Avril Lavigne, Bridget Benenate and Matthew Gerrard. The tune was initially penned for Lavigne’s debut album. However, Gerrard told Songwriter Universe that “As it turned out, it wasn’t quite right for Avril’s album, so we pitched it to Kelly Clarkson. It all worked out great. Kelly sounds great singing it, and it was a big hit for us.” Lavigne finally released a studio version of the song for the first time last year.
It’s not the first time that fans have heard Lavigne’s take on “Breakaway”, as the pop star’s original demo of the song was leaked on the internet in April 2014, and can still be found on YouTube.
Speaking to Songwriter Universe, Benenate explained that she began writing the lyrics for “Breakaway” after “Avril talked about her life and what things were important to her – she was the inspiration for the song.”
Gerrard then created the melody and music, after which Benenate completed the lyrics. “I remember staying in bed for three days, writing 25 versions of the lyric,” Benenate said. “I love being in bed and writing lyrics, and having my dog Jet and my kitty Dash on the bed. Anyway, we finally finished the lyric, then we completed the demo.”
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