Kelly Clarkson Song Altered by Divorce

In 2015, Kelly Clarkson released a poignant song titled “Piece by Piece” that highlighted the stark contrast between her own father and her husband, Brandon Blackstock, in terms of their abilities as husbands and fathers. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clarkson explained that the song expressed her desires, hopes, and the qualities she saw in Blackstock. However, last year, Clarkson and Blackstock divorced, leading her to reimagine the lyrics of “Piece by Piece.”

Speaking to her audience in Las Vegas, Clarkson shared her emotional journey with the song, stating that she initially wrote it with a sense of hope. However, as time passed, that hope turned into hopelessness, prompting her to make changes to the lyrics. According to People, Clarkson replaced her ex’s pronouns with first-person ones, reflecting her personal growth and self-reliance. She conveyed this by changing the line “But piece by piece, he collected me up” to “But piece by piece, I collected me up,” and modifying “He takes care of me/He loves me” to “I take care of me/’cause I love me.” Notably, some alterations also alluded to the financial disagreements that arose during their divorce.

Clarkson’s recent album, Chemistry, delves into the emotional terrain of her divorce, with some lyrics expressing anger that were actually written during her marriage. She explained that she used songwriting as a cathartic outlet for her feelings. Initially, she had not planned to perform “Piece by Piece” live, even after the album’s release. However, she changed her mind, wanting to support her fans and particularly a girl who genuinely believed in the earlier version of the song. Clarkson acknowledged the sadness surrounding this, but emphasized its authenticity. (Read more Kelly Clarkson stories.)