Kelly Clarkson

It makes sense that breaking down breakups should be the forte of an artist whose career has been defined by her relationship with and Breakaway from American Idol. Album four finds Kelly Clarkson pairing hints of My December's darker mood with more of the pop sounds that made her famous. She works through the nuances of nursing a broken heart and finding love again, each cut with the slightly sorrowful undercurrent that always permeates her powerful voice. But she's at her most evocative when juxtaposing dramatic desperation ("Save You") and biting rage ("Whyyouwannabringmedown").