Burleson native Kelly Clarkson is done asking for permission. Two decades after winning “American Idol,” the pop-rock powerhouse is stepping into a new era — one where she calls the shots, on her own terms. In a video straight from the source (a.k.a. her YouTube channel), Clarkson let fans in on her 2025 plans, and let’s just say: it’s a good year to be a Kelly fan.
“I love that this is the first time since I was a kid [that] I get to just be more creative and more free with, like, decisions,” she says, with the kind of grin that signals something big is coming. That something? New music. And for the first time, it’ll be released on her own label. “It’s been really, really cool to just kinda take the reins with that.”
For an artist who’s spent years navigating the industry’s red tape, this newfound independence is more than just a business move — it’s a statement. Clarkson says she’s been writing across the board, blending country, blues, rock, and dance.
“Usually in my career, people have been like, ‘You can’t do that,’” she says. “Well, you know what? In my label, you can. So I’m gonna release whatever I want, when I want. How ’bout that?”
That first release is already in motion — she’s shooting a music video for a track inspired by a scene from one of her favorite shows. Which show? That’s still a mystery, but the song itself? “It was almost like a beautiful [songwriting] exercise that I wanted to do, but it turned into the song I love.”
And because new music isn’t enough, Clarkson is setting up shop in Sin City. This summer, she’ll launch an 18-date residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Titled “Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions — The Las Vegas Residency,” the show is set to bring the recording process to life in real time.
“We’re bringing the studio to the stage this time,” she teases. Given her track record — from powerhouse ballads to the intimate storytelling of “Chemistry” (2023) — this promises to be more than just a standard greatest-hits setlist.
Clarkson has been down the Vegas road before. Her “Chemistry” residency at PH Live ran from 2023 to 2024, but this time, it’s different. She hasn’t done a proper tour since 2019, making these performances the closest fans will get to seeing her in an intimate setting. It’s a blend of everything she’s been working toward: control, creativity, and a direct connection with the people who have followed her since “Idol.”
While she’s been off the touring circuit, Clarkson has hardly been lying low. Her daytime talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” is nearing 1,000 episodes and has racked up an impressive 22 Daytime Emmy Awards. But even as a TV mainstay, she’s kept her musical chops sharp — her “Kellyoke” covers routinely go viral, tackling songs from Jelly Roll to Chris Stappleton with the kind of effortless power that reminds everyone why she’s still one of the best in the game.
So, what’s next? More music. More freedom. More Kelly. And this time, she’s doing it all on her own terms.
