Already Gone (Kelly Clarkson song)

Did You Know?

• The song is written in the key of A major with a vocal range from B3 to E5.
• It peaked at number one on the Adult Top 40 chart and remained atop for eight consecutive weeks.

Beyoncé similarities and Ryan Tedder feud

Ryan Tedder co-wrote Beyoncé's "Halo" before teaming up with Kelly Clarkson on "Already Gone." After hearing "Halo," Clarkson spotted clear parallels between the two tracks, especially in the melancholy piano, loud drums, and handclaps. She confronted Tedder about reusing the arrangement, worried people would think she copied Beyoncé. Clarkson tried to pull the song from her album, but the record was already being manufactured and couldn't be changed. Tedder defended himself on MySpace, insisting the songs were "entirely different" and dismissing the accusations as "hurtful and absurd." He told Idolator he was "absolutely livid," arguing it would be career suicide to sell the same track to major artists. Out of respect for Beyoncé, Clarkson fought her label to stop "Already Gone" from becoming a single, pushing for "Cry" instead. She eventually gave in, noting the record company could release it without her consent. Tedder, however, was happy with the single, saying he preferred it to "Halo." The song hit radio on August 11, 2009. The following September, Clarkson told MTV it was unfortunate the songs sound identical, but pointed out their vocal melodies differ.

Critical reception

"Already Gone" received critical acclaim. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said Clarkson knows the anguish she sings about is enjoyed as grandiose vulnerability, but the music delivers strength in pain. Eric R. Danton of The Hartford Courant stated Clarkson "pours on the heartache", and Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune called it an "extravagant ballad". Mike Ragogna of The Huffington Post wrote it "already sounds timeless". Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle described it as a striking change of pace with a gauzy quality synching with mournful lyrics. Billboard likened Clarkson's "ghostly delivery" to Sinéad O'Connor. Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine said Tedder's production is identical to "Halo" to the point of distraction but that "Already Gone" has a far stronger melody and one of Clarkson's most evocative performances. Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel disliked the lyrics and Tedder's production. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times thought Tedder "drowns [Clarkson] under murky piano". In 2013, Billboard ranked it number 19 on its Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time, and in 2017 it appeared at number nine on Clarkson's Top 15 Biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits.

Music video

The music video for "Already Gone" was shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on June 20, 2009, at The Carlu, directed by Joseph Kahn, who had worked with Clarkson on videos for "Never Again", "Walk Away", and "Behind These Hazel Eyes". The video is set in an apartment and a rehearsal room, featuring Clarkson lounging on chaises in gowns and jewels. Clarkson said the video is a departure from her previous ones as she is "completely glammed out". It begins with Clarkson in a gold gown, sequined elbow gloves, and a large pearl necklace on a chaise longue, alternating with a scene where she wears a black dress singing in a rehearsal room surrounded by invisible orchestra members. Slow-motion shots of falling champagne glasses, floating pearls, and flying violins intersperse the scenes. The video uses a shortened version of the song. It was uploaded to Clarkson's website on July 27. Kahn posted on Twitter that his vision was not realized and that he did not win a single battle. Rolling Stone described the video as "boring stuff", and Leah Collins of Dose called it uncontroversial.

Live performances

Due to the similarity with "Halo", Clarkson composed a new arrangement with musical director Jason Halbert for performances on her 2009 All I Ever Wanted Tour, singing it as part of the encore. Danton was impressed by the acoustic arrangement at the tour's first night in Uncasville, Connecticut, and Keith O'Connor of The Republican called it a highlight. Lori Hoffman of Atlantic City Weekly described the performance as an "emotional wallop". Jocelyn Vena of MTV reported it was a fan favorite, and Rolling Stone noted the audience sang along at Hammerstein Ballroom. On October 31 in St. Charles, Missouri, Clarkson mashed "Already Gone" with "Halo". She debuted the song on television on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 13, belting out the reworked arrangement. The same arrangement was used on VH1 Divas. Her performance at the 37th Annual American Music Awards was graded "B+" by the Los Angeles Times, which noted she was "solid" and "sound[ed] terrific". Jeremy Blacklow of Access Hollywood called it "pitch-perfect".