Somebody That I Used to Know

"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song by Belgian-Australian singer and songwriter Gotye from his third studio album Making Mirrors, and features New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song was written by Gotye himself, lyrically about the experiences he has had with relationships. The song was released on 6 July 2011 as the second and lead single off the album.

The song was released to critical acclaim by music critics and a surprising success in Australia, peaking at #1 in the country for eight weeks, becoming the longest running Australian song since Savage Garden's 1996 song "Truly Madly Deeply". It went on to win Triple J Hottest 100 poll at the end of 2011, as well as ARIA Awards for song of the year and best video, while Kimbra was voted best female artist and Gotye was named best male artist and producer of the year.

By mid-April 2012, the song had reached #1 on the music charts in 18 countries, particularly in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, and the USA. On 12 February 2012, the song topped the charts in the United Kingdom for the week ending 18 February 2012 and climbed back to #1 for another week on 26 February 2012, staying in that position for further four weeks. In Kimbra's home country, New Zealand, the song has also reached #1. It is Gotye and Kimbra's most successful single and their first #1 song in Australia and New Zealand, also causing their previous singles and albums to chart in the top 100 in Australia. In the United States, the song became a crossover hit peaking at number one on both the Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts, while also having charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.  As of April 2012, the song had sold 4.5 million copies worldwide according to Universal Republic.

After a week of high profile television appearances in the USA in April 2012, including Glee on 10 April 2012; American Idol on 11 April 2012; and Gotye and Kimbra's performancd on Saturday Night Live on April 14, 2012, it topped the iTunes Top 100 Singles chart with 542,000 downloads, the fourth highest since SoundScan began tracking digital sales in 2003.[8] On April 18, 2012, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first Australian single to do so since Savage Garden's "I Knew I Loved You" in 2000. As of April 19, 2012, the song’s official video on YouTube had been viewed 166 million times.

The "Glee" cast's cover of "Somebody That I Used to Know" sold 152,000 downloads in its first week and debuted on 18 April 2012 on the Digital Songs chart at No. 10 and the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 26.

COMPOSITION

The song was produced and written by Gotye in his parents' barn on the Mornington Peninsula where it was recorded. The song begins sampling Luiz Bonfá's track "Seville" along with the beats playing and a sparse xylophone solo. Gotye sings, seemingly addressing a past lover, discussing the ways in which he reminisces sometimes, and the nature of love. His voice then leaps an octave for the chorus, in which he expresses distaste at how he was treated "like a stranger" during the breakup, the stronger tone matching the hurt of the sentiment. Kimbra then sings her verse, seemingly in response, declaring that she too felt hurt at her treatment during the relationship, and was "screwed over" yet made to feel it was her fault. Her voice rises in the chorus with a different melody, creating a polyphonic effect, and though harmonious it is almost as if the two voices are in argument, fitting the relationship breakdown theme of the song. After the second chorus, Gotye continues to perform the chorus as the song fades. The song finishes with Gotye and Kimbra both saying 'somebody'.

In an interview, Gotye stated that the song was "definitely drawn from various experiences I've had in relationships breaking up, and in the parts of the more reflective parts of the song, in the aftermath and the memory of those different relationships and what they were and how they broke up and what's going on in everyone's minds. Yeah, so it's an amalgam of different feelings but not completely made up as such."

In an interview with Rolling Stone Australia, he described the song as "a curated reflection of multiple past relationships", but revealed the chorus was directly related to one ex-girlfriend. He stated: "It wasn't a nasty break-up, but it was messy in the sense that we hurt each other more than we needed to because it wasn’t a clean break... We both realised we had to move on and we haven’t seen each other since."

With the talented crop of singers that is "American Idol's" top seven, one had to think the judges could have been considering using their one and only save from elimination Thursday night (Apr. 12).

But one may never have guessed they'd show their hand so early.

After Ryan Seacrest revealed a bottom three of Joshua Ledet, Elise Testone and Jessica Sanchez, the anticipation of using the save was palpable on the face of Steven Tyler. "We're gonna use our card tonight," he told Seacrest, "especially with an outcome like this."

So even when Jessica Sanchez, the young diva with a big voice, was revealed as the lowest vote-getter, she didn't have long to sing for her spot on the show. Almost immediately, the judges stormed the stage, engulfing Jessica while Randy Jackson proclaimed, "This girl is one of the best singers in America! Ever! Are you kidding me? Everybody, please vote for the best! Come on!" The save was made. Shades of last season's Casey Abrams, when the judges halted his performance to use the save just moments in.

The bottom three of Joshua, Elise and Jessica is certainly an interesting (and fairly expected) outcome and commentary on the current state of "Idol." While Joshua and Jessica especially are arguably the season's best remaining singers in terms of raw talent, they suffer, quite simply, from not appealing to the demographic that votes for Phillip Phillips and Colton Dixon each week, despite if one of them had a bad week (such as Phillip Wednesday night).

Of course, it may also not help Jessica that the judges have been uniform and unanimous in their praise of her this season, touting her as the one to beat and one with an incredibly bright future in the field. An abundance of praise does not always work wonders for those receiving it, and can sometimes leave a bad taste for those watching at home (Facebook notification: Pia Toscano and Jennifer Hudson like this).

Speaking of J-Hud, the "Idol" alum returned to the stage Thursday night to promote new single "Think Like a Man," with featured guest Ne-Yo. Hudson, now a Grammy and Oscar-winning performer, is proof that the path is not over even if one is eliminated from the competition early. Jessica and Joshua should take some notes from her, should they find themselves in the same position next week (and, frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they are).

Season 10's James Durbin also returned with "Higher than Heaven," a loud, in-your-face power rocker viewers came to expect from him last season. He may never reach the highs of similarly-voiced Adam Lambert, but it looks and sounds like the Durbinator's doing pretty well for himself.

Next week, all seven singers return to perform two solos each. Another two-hour show, but if that means no more of those dreadful duets, I'm all for it.

I know you guys will have a lot to say about this one. Was the bottom three the right one? Why are some of the show's most praised receiving the lowest number of votes? Does anyone have anything for Phillip or Colton no matter what? Comment, people!

The Hunger Games Tracks

The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond is the official companion album for the 2012 film The Hunger Games. "Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift and featuring The Civil Wars, was released as a promotional single for the soundtrack. On February 14, 2012, "One Engine" was made available for digital download on iTunes. The soundtrack was released on March 20, 2012, three days before the film's release in the United States. Eyes open is all about the day is over and if you keep your eyes open nobody will hurt you. i am from England. Also i live is the Us except i was born in England. So i have an acsent.

"Abraham's Daughter" by Arcade Fire

"Tomorrow Will Be Kinder" by The Secret Sisters

"Nothing to Remember" by Neko Case

"Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars

"The Ruler & The Killer" by Kid Cudi

"Dark Days" by Punch Brothers

"One Engine" by The Decemberists

"Daughter's Lament" by Carolina Chocolate Drops

"Kingdom Come" by The Civil Wars

"Take the Heartland" by Glen Hansard

"Come Away to the Water" by Maroon 5 featuring Rozzi Crane

"Run Daddy Run" by Miranda Lambert ft Pistol Annies

"Rules" by Jayme Dee

"Eyes Open" by Taylor Swift

"Lover is Childlike" by The Low Anthem

"Just a Game" by Birdy

Beyoncé on Top with Love on Top

"Love on Top" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album 4 (2011). Inspired from her state of mind while playing Etta James, Knowles wrote the song alongside Terius Nash and Shea Taylor; its production was handled by Taylor and Knowles. A throw-back to 1980s music, the uptempo R&B song exhibits style similar to that of Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and The Jackson 5, among others. While incorporating four key changes, Knowles adopts a high range when repeating the song's chorus towards the end of the song. She sings about a man who she can always call, even after facing grief and hard work, finally earning his love and respect.
"Love on Top"'s musical composition, as well as Knowles' vocals and versatility, surprised critics. In July 2011, the song charted at number three for three consecutive weeks in South Korea. Knowles sang "Love on Top" live at 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, announcing her pregnancy at the end of her performance. This caused the upsurge of the song on several charts worldwide. It appeared at number 75 in the United Kingdom and at number 14 in New Zealand. It also debuted at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and became the second highest debut of Knowles' career as a solo artist. "Love on Top" has so far peaked at number 20 in Australia, where it was certified platinum.
Mainly inspired by the work of the American band New Edition, the accompanying music video for "Love on Top" shows Knowles along with five male dancers, performing choreographed moves in a penthouse studio in New York City overlooking the Hudson River towards New Jersey. Critics generally commended the simplicity of the video, the wardrobe changes with every key change, and Knowles' youthful exuberance throughout the clip. The song was part of Knowles' set list on the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé revue. Critics noted that the song was even more impressive in person and that going through the last four key changes while performing it live, remains a difficult task.

Background and Development
"Love on Top" was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash and Shea Taylor while production was handled by Knowles and Taylor. From June 16 to June 27, 2011, the songs from 4 were available to listen to in full each day on Knowles' official website, paired with its accompanying photo spread from the album packaging and a quote. On June 26, 2011, "Love on Top" was the eighth song to be chosen. The quote found Knowles elaborating on the song's inspiration:
When I played Etta James it was the most I'd learned about myself until the recording of this album. When I went into the studio I used the same passion, honesty, and approach with my vocals I channeled as Etta James. It does not sound like the vocals on my past albums. It's a lot rawer. It comes from a deep place.
Knowles, who has covered "At Last" which is a song originally recorded by James, portrayed the artist in the 2008 musical biopic, Cadillac Records. She won critical acclaim for her portrayal of James. Knowles told Billboard magazine: "I realized that Etta James was so unapologetic, bold and strong that playing her was a big risk for me. It gave me the confidence and the push to challenge myself a little more with my music." "Love on Top" impacted Urban radio in the United States on January 10, 2012 as the fourth single from the album in that country.

Composition
"Love on Top" is an up-tempo R&B song viewed as a modern take on old school music. It also exhibits elements of retro-soul music, the 1980s pop music, funk music, and the 1970s classic disco music, as stated by Joanne Dorken of MTV UK and Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun. According to Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson, "Love on Top" is a "bright, breezy tribute to the freshness of mid-[80s, pre-new-jack-FM R&B reminiscent of Whitney Houston and pre-wack Anita Baker." He also noted the song to be the "perfect and totally inverted fraternal twin" of another song on 4, being "Rather Die Young". "Love on Top"'s retro elements are further illustrated by its use of finger snaps, a "distorted" bass groove, and a melding of horns as well as sweet backing harmonies, especially in the bridge and the chorus of the song.[10][13][14] It is instrumentally complete with a thumping bassline, synthesizers, tribal drums, an arena-rock music piano, a guitar, a peppy saxophone, and some backing vocals. Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice compared "Love on Top" to Raydio's "You Can't Change That" (1979) and New Edition's "Mr. Telephone Man" (1984). Priya Elan of NME noted that "Love on Top" echoes Janet Jackson's "Whoops Now" (1995), Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling" (1986) and the theme from My Two Dads.
According to the digital sheet music published at musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, "Love on Top" is written in the key of C major with a metronome of 94 beats per minute. Knowles' vocal range in the song spans from the low note of A♭3 to the high note of C6. "Love on Top" is set as "both a sweet love song and an expression of girl power" as stated by Georgette Cline of AOL Music. Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club and David Amidon of PopMatters noted that "Love on Top" features "mature lyrics" alongside Knowles "sounding vocally giddy and aggressive while portraying the message." Lyrically, the song finds Knowles as the female protagonist expressing the happiness she feels for to have her love interest in her life. "The languid, synth-soul smoocher allows for enjoyably euphoric tone" before Knowles chimes in with "Bring the beat in!", introducing "a mid-album interlude of mid-[19]80s pop", as stated by Andy Gill of The Independent as well as Hamish MacBain of NME.
Rich Juzwiak noted that Knowles "ecstatically and hyperactively" changes keys six times during the entire song. As stated by Scott Shetler of PopCrush, Knowles constantly sings praises of her love interest in the first verse where she also seemingly sends him subtle digs as he did not give her his full attention in the past, this being illustrated in lyrics such as, "[...] after fighting through my fears [...] finally you've put me first." The chorus, complimented with sweet backing harmonies, then arrives, with Knowles chanting, "Baby it’s you, you’re the one I love / You’re the one I need / You’re the only one I see / Come on baby it’s you / You’re the one that gives your all / You’re the one I can always call / When I need you make everything stop / Finally you put my love on top." The chorus carries the final two minutes of the song through four key changes. This was highlighted by Henderson who wrote that "the spirit carries both her and the song into a Stevie Wonder-reminiscent climax of continually rising key changes." In this way, the word "baby" is said about 24 times throughout the song. As soon as the synthesizers drop out, the song fades out almost instantaneously.

Chart Peformance
For the week July 2, 2011, "Love on Top" debuted on the South Korea Gaon International Singles Chart at number three, selling 89,942 digital downloads. The song remained at number three in its second week and third week, selling 52,462 downloads and 42,261 downloads respectively. It charted inside the top ten positions of the chart for five consecutive weeks.
After Knowles' performance of "Love on Top" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, the song was propelled into the top five positions of the US iTunes Store; its sales picked up by 221 percent. Despite not being a single at that time, it became the highest charting song from 4 on the US iTunes Store.For the week ending September 10, 2011, "Love on Top" consequently debuted at number 135 on the US Hot Digital Songs chart, and charted at number 22 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which is equivalent to number 122 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following week, the song soared number 10 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, selling 113,000 downloads; digital sales went up by 803%. This prompted the entry of "Love on Top" at number 20 on the Hot 100 chart. The Hot 100 debut of "Love on Top" became Knowles' second highest among her 29 solo career entries; only "Ring the Alarm" began at a higher position, at number 12 in 2006. It fell to number 70 on the Hot 100 chart issue dated September 24, 2011.
For the week September 17, 2011, "Love on Top" debuted at number 85 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[46] It moved to number nine Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart issue dated February 11, 2012, and became the third song from 4 to chart inside the top ten of that chart. For the week ending March 3, 2012, the song earned the Greatest Gainer/Airplay title as it lifted from number four to number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart chart with 30 million audience impressions, which went up by 22%, according to Nielsen BDS. "Love on Top" topped the chart for the week ending March 10, 2012; it was Knowles' sixth song during her solo career to reach number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Before being sent for adds on any format on US radios, "Love on Top" debuted at number 36 on the BDS Urban AC National airplay chart issue dated October 29, 2011, having amassed 106 spins, including 55 in 7 days. According to Nielsen BDS, 18 Urban AC radio stations added the song to their playlists for that week ending. For the week ending March 3, 2012, it became Knowles' first number-one on the US Adult R&B Airplay chart.
Similarly owing to the live performance, "Love on Top" debuted at number 65 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart issue dated September 17, 2011. The song also entered at number 75 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 23 on the UK R&B Chart on September 4, 2011, It debuted at number 14 on the New Zealand Singles Chart the following day, and spent seven non-consecutive weeks on the chart. In Ireland, "Love on Top" made its debut at number 47 on September 8, 2011. The song also entered at number 40 on the Australian Singles Chart on September 12, 2011. The following week, it debuted at number nine of the Australian Urban Singles Chart, and was the most added song to radios in Australia. "Love on Top" peaked at number 20 on the singles chart on November 6, 2011, and number four on the urban chart on October 17, 2011. Having spent 16 consecutive weeks on the Australian singles Chart, the song was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipment of 70,000 copies.
After having been announced as a single in the UK, "Love on Top" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 154 on November 13, 2011, and moved to number 87 the following week. It also moved from number 63 to number 38 on the UK R&B Chart. On December 4, 2011, "Love on Top" climbed from number 54 to number 28 on the UK Singles Chart and from 16 to number seven on the UK R&B Chart, where the song has peaked so far. The following week, it moved to number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained until January 1, 2012. On January 8, 2012, "Love on Top" reached number 20, selling 15,660 digital copies and bringing its total sales to 120,648 copies.The single peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart the following week.

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Give Me All Your Luvin' by Madonna Feat M.I.A & Nicki Minaj

"Give Me All Your Luvin' " is a song by American recording artist Madonna. It is the lead single from her upcoming 12th studio album MDNA and features guest vocals from Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. The song was released on February 3, 2012 by Boy Toy, Inc., Live Nation and Interscope Records, however, a demo version of the song was leaked on November 8, 2011, under the name "Give Me All Your Love", resulting in a 31-year-old man from Spain being arrested for copyright violations.

Backed by bouncing synthesizers and marching drums, "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is a dance-pop song, with elements of such musical genres as New Wave, bubblegum pop, and disco. Upon its release, music commentators were polarized with the song. Its chorus was noted as a highlight by critics, who described it as catchy; however, music commentators felt that the musical composition was inferior to Madonna's previous singles. Commercially the single was a success, peaking at number one in Canada and Finland and inside the top ten in several European countries, Japan and South Korea. It became Madonna's 38th top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, extending her record as the artist with most top-ten singles in the chart history. An accompanying music video was filmed in December 2011, directed by MegaForce.

The official remix, which features LMFAO in place of M.I.A., is dubbed the "Party Rock Remix", and will soon be featured in the EA Sports game, FIFA Street shortly after the game's launch, and on the deluxe edition of MDNA.

M.I.A Nicki Minaj

Background

In December 2010, Madonna posted a message on her Facebook, exclaiming: "Its official! I need to move. I need to sweat. I need to make new music! Music I can dance to. I'm on the lookout for the maddest, sickest, most badass people to collaborate with. I'm just saying". Madonna has stated she wanted to work with M.I.A. and Minaj on the track as they were both strong, independent girls with a unique voice, and that she liked their music and what they represented. She paid tribute to the stars, saying "They're not conventional pop stars and I really admire them both. I love both of them actually. M.I.A. felt that the collaboration was an achievement her mother would be proud of, "way [more] than me putting "Galang" out in a club." M.I.A. told BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe that she evaluated Madonna as an original artist. She said: "As musicians, we're two women and we represent two opposite sides of the world. If we can come together on a piece of music or something like the Super Bowl, I feel like that’s actually a cool thing to see."

On November 8, 2011, two snippets of the demo leaked on the web. Later that day, the entire demo of the song, as "Give Me All Your Love," was leaked onto the Internet. According to Billboard: "Within a few hours, it was among one of the top 10 trending topics worldwide on Twitter." After the release of the demo, Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, wrote on Twitter, "The plan was for new music to come out in the new year. I'm very happy with the positive reaction to the demo, but we are very upset with whoever leaked the song!!!!!!!! we are asking that the fans please help us police any more leaks. we have a lot in store for you. but please respect the process." The leaked demo lacked vocals from both Minaj and M.I.A. M.I.A. confirmed the collaboration of all three in a tweet saying she had been summoned to New York City on November 29, 2011. On December 22, 2011, the police arrested a 31-year-old man from Spain who reportedly leaked the demo. They confirmed the suspect's initials as J.M.R. and described him as "a big Madonna fan"; they found recordings of the song in his belongings. It was confirmed by The Huffington Post that the person didn't seek to profit from the release. He was charged with leaking the unpublished song and later was subsequently released.

On January 29, 2012, Interscope Records announced that the song will be titled "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and that it would be released on February 3, 2012. The song was written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Minaj, and M.I.A; composed by Solveig and Michael Tordjman and produced by Madonna and Solveig. The track was her debut single from her 360 deal with Live Nation Entertainment which was signed in 2007. Through this contract, Madonna and Live Nation signed a three-album deal with Intdrscope Records, who will market and distribute the single and the studio album. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" was sent to United States Mainstream radio on February 7, 2012.

COMPOSITION

"Give Me All Your Luvin'" is a dance-pop song, with elements of bubblegum pop, synthpop , New Wave, and disco. The song starts with Madonna uttering a cheer: "L-U-V MADONNA Y-O-U YOU WANNA".The vocal tone of the chant is reminiscent to Gwen Stafani's single "Hollaback Girl" (2005) and "Mickey" (1982) by Toni Basil. A "polished 60s shakedown" succeeds the chant, which is backed by bouncing synthesizers and hard drums. Priya Elan of NME said that resembles Madonna's own songs "Beautiful Stranger", "Amazing" and the songs on her albums Ray of Light (1998) and Hard Candy (2008). "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is written in the key of D♭ major and has a moderately fast tempo of 144 beats per minute. It follows the chord progression of D♭–G♭–A♭.

The chorus of the song follows, which Madonna executes in a high-pitched voice: "Don't play the stupid game / Cause I’m a different kind of girl / Every record sounds the same / You’ve got to step into my world / Give me all your luvin', give me your love / Give me all your love today." Entertainment Weekly's Lanford Beard commented that the song "blends Katy Perry-meets-Gwen Stefani chanting, echoes of Ashlee Simpson's regrettable foray into New Wave-y synth-guitar sounds, and a 'Hold It Against Me' redux breakdown." John Mitchell of MTV Newsroom commented that the instrumentation of the song consists of "glittery synths, marching band drums, claps and a catchy-as-hell chorus." Lewis Corner of Digital Spy called the song an "'80s-inspired electro-thumper complete with a cheerleader chant of 'L-U-V Madonna!'" After the second chorus, "Give Me All Your Luvin'" features a breakdown influenced by dubstep. Minaj raps her verse at a rapid pace as her alter-ego Roman Zolanski: "You can be my boy, you can be my boy toy / In the nick of time, I can say a sicker rhyme / Cause it's time for change, like a nickel or a dime / I'm Roman, I'm a barbarian, I'm Conan." The tempo subsequently decreases as M.I.A raps her verses.

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Fun.-tastic! 'We Are Young' Tops Hot 100

The song spends a third week atop the Digital Songs chart with 302,000 downloads sold (up 19%), according to Nielsen SoundScan. The track claims the Hot 100's top Airplay Gainer award, as it bounds 61-41 in its second week on Radio Songs (30 million, up 60%, according to Nielsen BDS). "Young" rises 3-2 on the Alternative Songs radio airplay chart and roars in as the top debut on Pop Songs (No. 24) and Adult Pop Songs (No. 33).

With its coronation, fun. becomes the first multi-member rock band to conquer the Hot 100 with its first entry on the chart since Nickleback arrived with its four-week No. 1 "How You Remind Me" in December 2001/January 2002. The song went on to become Billboard's top title of 2002. (Electronic/alternative act Owl City ruled the Hot 100 with debut single "Fireflies" in 2009, but the name served as an alias for its only member, Adam Young).

Until this week, no rock group had led at all since Coldplay topped the June 28, 2008, Hot 100 with "Viva La Vida."

The ascension of "Young" also grants the 16-year-old Fueled By Ramen imprint its first Hot 100 No. 1. (The song is being promoted to radio by the Roadrunner Promotion label). Fueled By Ramen had previously risen as high as No. 2 with Fall Out Boy's "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" in 2007.

Since Chevrolet's Sonic ad featuring "Young" aired during the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, "Young" has exploded at radio and retail. In the four full sales weeks following its massive TV exposure, the song has sold 1.1 million downloads, or 77% of its total (1.5 million) dating to its September digital release.

Adding to the song's profile, the "Glee" cast's cover of "Young" has sold 360,000 downloads since the Fox TV troupe performed the song on the series' Dec. 6 episode.

"Young" pushes Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" down 1-2 after three non-consecutive weeks at the Hot 100's summit. "Stronger" slips 2-3 on Digital Songs (197,000, down 18%), although it pushes 3-2 on Radio Songs (116 million, up 7%). The song becomes Clarkson's fourth No. 1 on Adult Pop Songs (2-1).

Adele's former two-week No. 1 "Set Fire to the Rain" drops 2-3 on the Hot 100, while the Wanted's "Glad You Came" rises 5-4. "Glad" climbs courtesy of a 3-2 advance on Digital Songs (206,000, up 10%) and a 22-17 jump on Radio Songs (55 million, up 23%). The boy band's debut single lifts 10-9 on Pop Songs.

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

In a story about “Mr. Know It All” , the first single off Kelly Clarkson’s new album Stronger — Entertainment Weekly calls the multi-platinum singer and songwriter “the samurai of shooting guys down.” Indeed Clarkson has earned herself millions of devoted fans thanks to her feisty, straight-talking lyrics. Clarkson’s hits such as “Miss Independent,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Walk Away,” “Never Again,” and now “Mr. Know It All,” are bold empowerment anthems, which she sells to the fullest with her soulful, powerhouse voice and down-to-earth relatability.

The vibrant, musically diverse Stronger (which Clarkson says was influenced by Tina Turner, Prince, Sheryl Crow, and Radiohead) will thrill those who love Clarkson for her resilience. The album is filled with candid, emotionally raw tunes like “The War Is Over,” “Darkside,” and “Honestly,” as well as “You Love Me” (in which Clarkson witheringly tells an ex “you’re not good enough”), “Einstein” (the cad in question is dismissed with “Here’s your keys, your bags, your clothes, and now get out of my place”), and the title track, which finds Clarkson putting a fresh spin on Nietzsche’s adage that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and declaring “it doesn’t mean I’m over ’cause you’re gone.” That fact that these gutsy sentiments are wrapped in fizzy pop melodies, bright choruses, and driving dancefloor-friendly beats (crafted by such A-list producers as Rodney Jerkins, Greg Kurstin, Josh Abraham, and Toby Gad) only makes them that much more appealing.

“The whole album is very much about strength and empowerment, so ‘Stronger’ felt like the perfect title,” Clarkson says. “Plus that song is just a gold mine — it's a little bit pop, a little bit pop-rock, a little bit urban, a little bit dance, and it ties everything in. And everybody loves that message. ‘What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.’ It's a perfect representation of my life.”

Clarkson’s life has had its share of challenges. Her parents divorced when she was six and her mother struggled financially to raise Kelly and her older siblings. “My mom had to do everything on her own,” Clarkson says. “She put herself through school. It was really hard. I think watching that molded me into this person who wants to relay a message to women everywhere that they’re capable of doing whatever they set their mind to. It made an impact on me even though I didn’t know it at the time. Now I see it while I’m making these songs that I hope will inspire people.”

She may not have known how her early life would shape her artistry, but Clarkson did understand the emotional power of music from a young age. She was first drawn to singing at age eight after an eye-opening visit to an African-American church in Fort Worth. “I was like, ‘Wow, whatever they're feeling, I want to feel it too,’” she recalls. When Clarkson was in junior high school, a music teacher heard her singing in the hallway and encouraged her to join the choir. “When you’re a kid and you find something you’re good at, you cling to it. People would say nice things and that gave me confidence. Everybody always asks me what I would do if I weren’t singing and I have no clue, because I have no other talents,” she says with a laugh.

As is well known by now, Clarkson first appeared on the public’s radar in 2002 during the first season of American Idol. “When I auditioned, my apartment in Los Angeles had recently burned down and I had a box of photographs to my name,” Clarkson says. “I figured I’d get to sing and make some money to pay the bills. Nobody thought that show was going to be what it is now.” Of course Clarkson won and went on to become an international pop icon, selling over 20 million albums worldwide (including 10 million in the U.S.) and notching seven singles on the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She has released four studio albums, 2003’s double-platinum No. 1 Thankful, 2004’s 6x-platinum Breakaway (which sold over 12 million copies worldwide, spawned five Top 10 hits, and stayed on the charts for two years), 2007’s platinum-selling My December, and 2009’s All I Ever Wanted, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and produced the smash singles “My Life Would Suck Without You” and “Already Gone.” Clarkson has also received two Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, two MTV Music Awards, and 11 Billboard Music Awards.

With all those accolades, it’s tempting to wonder why Clarkson is continually drawn to songs about overcoming challenges. “I think I gravitate toward songs with a defiant message because I always feel like I’m fighting just to be me,” she says. “That’s why I tend to write or choose songs about how just being you is okay. People associate me with break-up songs, but most of the time the song isn’t even about a guy. I never write about one particular thing. I always relate the topic to different situations in my life, whether it’s family, friends, or work. That’s what makes the songs connect on a broader level.”

Clarkson co-wrote five tracks on Stronger, a process she feels is therapeutic. Her favorite song on the album is “You Love Me,” which she says she wrote following an incident that she thought would break her. “It was probably the most hurt I’ve ever been in my life,” she admits. “But by writing about it, I got to work through it and get it out of my system.” The remainder of the songs were written by a host of A-list songsmiths, including Rodney Jerkins, Ester Dean, Bonnie McKee, and Toby Gad, whom Clarkson says really took the time to get to know her style. She also credits her producers, Jerkins, Kurstin, Abraham, and Gad among them, for what she says is the biggest difference between Stronger and her previous albums.

“What separates this album are the vocals,” she says. “They sound richer and fuller, and, for the first time, how I sound when I’m performing live. The producers I worked with just let me sing and be me. They didn't strip away the personality. And it was one of those things where if the people I’m working with have confidence in me, I have more confidence in myself and that changed everything. I can’t wait to perform these songs on tour. I think that’s the best way to get to know an artist, and where you get to see actual personality, because we can't hide much onstage.”

And how does she think her fans around going to react to Stronger? “I have an indication that they know they're going to love it,” she says. “I ran into a fan the other day in Target. It was a mom and her daughter and they were just like, ‘Oh my God, we don't even care what you put out if you could just put something out.’ It's funny, they didn’t even care what it was. I love that people still get excited about new music.”

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