Released: March 6, 2009

By: Kelly Clarkson

Though Kelly Clarkson’s fourth album All I Ever Wanted is full of hits that are fun to sing at the top of your lungs, there’s less of an honest Clarkson here than on her previous releases with a combination of clashing genres.

After My December, which showed Clarkson at her most vulnerable, this album has less than half the songs written by the singer. Two (including the title track) are covers and two are Katy Perry rejects. It’s not to say that any of these are bad – “bad” isn’t a word that can be associated with Clarkson’s music – it’s just that you can tell it’s not her thoughts.

The album sounds like a mix of ideas with many songs giving hard pop-rock vibes, while the ballads and ‘50s-inspiried tracks feel out of place.

Final say: Not quite what I wanted. ★★★☆☆