When it comes to music, there aren’t too many blatantly wholesome artists I enjoy. The trifecta of nice music that I like includes Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, and Miley Cyrus. So when I heard that Kelly Clarkson did a cover of Miley’s “The Climb,” thereby combining two things of ultimate aural saintliness, I had to track it down.

Kelly hung out with her friends, country / Christian singers Jill Pickering and Kate Rapier, and recorded a harmonious cover of the song in what looks like someone’s poorly-lit living room. It’s a good thing those Jill and Kate girls are such good singers because the first 45 seconds of the video where they “ummm” and hair toss their way through the song’s introduction are absolutely excruciating. I also thought that Kelly and the girl on the left couldn’t quit texting long enough to sing the song, but now think maybe they were just reading the lyrics off their phones.

Enjoy.

“The whole airbrushing thing has gone crazy. I was like, ‘Who is that on the cover of the magazine?’ They were obviously not happy with what I look like. I’m not being mean about myself, but I just found it funny. I think it’s just one of those things that people have got so used to doing that they don’t even think twice about it.”

Kelly Clarkson to Britain’s Heat Magazine on the Self Magazine air brushing scandal

(My apologies for this woof-tastic photo, but I simply couldn’t resist)

FREAK OUT TIME! You guys, Self magazine digitally altered Kelly Clarkson’s photo for the cover of their September issue. They changed her body and her face so that she looks thinner and prettier. I think we should all get really upset about this and start bitching about the media’s contribution to unhealthy female body images, because this is the first time ever that anything like this has ever happened.

Self’s editor, Lucy Danziger, weighs in on the controversy on her personal blog:

Pictures are meant to tell a story, express a feeling, convey an emotion or capture a moment. Portraits like the one we take each month for the cover of SELF are not supposed to be unedited or a true-to-life snapshot (more on that in a moment). When the cover girl arrives at the shoot, she is usually unmade up and casually dressed, and could be mistaken for a member of the crew or the editorial team in many cases. Once we do her makeup and hair, and dress her in beautifully styled outfits and then light her, we then set the best portrait photographer we can on a road to finding a pose and capturing a moment that shows her at her best. … Then we edit the film and choose the best pictures. This is done in tandem with the star; the creative director, Cindy Searight; the photographer; and myself. Then we allow the postproduction process to happen, where we mark up the photograph to correct any awkward wrinkles in the blouse, flyaway hair and other things that might detract from the beauty of the shot. This is art, creativity and collaboration. It’s not, as in a news photograph, journalism. It is, however, meant to inspire women to want to be their best. That is the point.

Here’s what I think is interesting: Every single cover photo of every single women’s magazine since the beginning of digital technology has been digitally altered. Every. Single. One. That’s basically what Lucy is saying here. They Photoshop Kate Moss. They Photoshop Angelina Jolie. They Photoshop Jennifer Lopez and Tyra Banks and Gisele Bundchen. They Photoshop their bodies and their faces and their teeth and their lips and their lighting and the color of their clothing and their hair and their makeup. This happens always.

Why is the decision to digitally alter Kelly Clarkson such a big deal?

Because Kelly Clarkson is a big girl with an average face, and every woman who stops short of a size two and doesn’t naturally have Angelina lips and a button nose feels a need to defend Kelly Clarkson’s right to be a big girl with an average face. And that’s just fine, but I think it’s worth noting: We don’t throw hissy fits when they digital alter thin and beautiful women. Aren’t we, if anything, unfairly picking on Kelly’s plainness by causing an uproar over this photo?

Kelly Clarkson has been fighting with her record label in an effort to stop the release of her single “Already Gone”.  She co-wrote the lyrics against a trace provided by Ryan Tedder, a music producer.  Turns out, Tedder gave the same track to Beyonce who used the music as the backdrop to her single “Halo”.  

Clarkson says, “No one’s gonna be sittin’ at home, thinking ‘Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to.’  No, they’re just gonna be saying I ripped someone off…I fought and fought”.  In the end, they’re releasing it without my consent.  It sucks, but it’s one of those things I have no control over. I already made my album. At this point, the record company can do whatever they want with it. It’s kind of a sh- – -y situation, but . . . you know, you learn.”

I’ve posted both tracks above.  Which is better?  I’m sure all the Evil Beet regulars know my vote.

Kelly Clarkson appeared on Late Show with David Letterman last night wearing dark denim flare leg jeans, a floral tunic and horizontal stripe cardigan.  Thoughts?

Do we just love Clarkson for her “I don’t care” attitude or would it be nice to see her in some garment, any garment, with structure?

Poor Lady Gaga’s chest exploded whilst performing at the 20th Annual MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, Canada.

Also there was Audrina Patridge in a cheap and ill-fitting dress, my fiance Bradley Cooper and the pure Jonas Brothers.  Oh, and I’m totally willing to support Kelly Clarkson in this whole body-acceptance thing she’s got going on, but there must be compromise.  No.  More.  Scarf.  Tops.

Rumer Willis appeared with her chin and Tila Tequila was positively stumped over the one-button operation of the Flip Mino HD camera.

Finally, in an admirable effort of frugality, Kim Kardashian fashioned her dress out of one of the extra costumes used by Fergie’s backup dancers.

Kelly’s in Australia doing some promotional work, and this is the outfit she selected to do a television appearance.