.gif)
Never Again (Kelly Clarkson song)
Encyclopedia
"Never Again" is a song written by American
pop rock
singer Kelly Clarkson
and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single
from her third studio album
, My December
(2007).
As of Feb 11, 2010 the song has logged 1.078 million digital downloads. The song was nominated for Payback Track on the 2007 Teen Choice Awards. This song was #99 on Rolling Stone
This song also ranked #63 on AT40's 100 Most Played Songs of 2007. It also ranked at #70 on Billboard' s 2007 Year End Chart.
In July 2007, the single was certified gold by the RIAA, marking shipments of over 500,000 copies in the United States. As of April 2010, the song has sold over one million digital downloads.
, the song was inspired by the end of Clarkson's relationship with David Hodges
, although she has not publicly confirmed that statement. It also provided some of the inspiration for the songs "Behind These Hazel Eyes
" and "Where Is Your Heart" on her second studio album, Breakaway (2004
). She wrote it around late 2004 as a contrast to those songs, saying that "neither was originally written" with that thought in mind and were adjusted "after the fact." In addition, she thought that it was "nastier" than those songs, so she considered dropping it from the track listing of her third album, My December. Yet, she decided to keep it because she thought it would be appropriate as the opening track on the album, which was later released as the first single from My December. "It's just got such great energy", Clarkson said. "It's so blunt — I was so angry — and it reads so well, so we just went with it."
Clarkson has cited the influence of Alanis Morissette
's 1995 single "You Oughta Know
" and Pat Benatar
on "Never Again"; according to her, someone at her label disliked the song because it was too similar to Benatar's music. "I was like, 'Now I really like it! I love her, and what's wrong with you?'", Clarkson said. "I love any kind of rock
chick who's just totally into what she's doing. What's funny is that we now think of her as a rock icon, but she was pretty pop
as well. And I'm pretty pop too — I'm a rock/pop
girl, which is cool with me."
, but was removed after several hours. The single was permanently available for download on the U.S. iTunes Store by April 23, 2007, becoming the only format available in the United States. The single was later released in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2007, about one month after the major releases of the single in several countries.
The music video
, directed by Joseph Kahn
, was shot in Los Angeles
from April 11 to April 13, 2007. Kahn directed two of Clarkson's previous videos: "Behind These Hazel Eyes
" and "Walk Away
". The video premiered on TRL
on May 1, 2007, peaked at number one on May 10, 2007, and held the top position four times. It also debuted at number 8 on VH1's V-Spot countdown and has since climbed to number 3 on V-Spot's latest episode. The music video was made available for download on the U.S. iTunes Store
on May 11, 2007.
The plot involves Clarkson's character's ex-boyfriend (Dominic Figlio) attempting to drown her in her bathtub. Then, he heads to an airport to meet his new girlfriend, but he is wracked with guilt over what he has done. Apparitions of Clarkson are present in his car, and again at the airport to haunt him. Clarkson said the video was similar to the 2000 film What Lies Beneath
because, as she put it, "You don't know if he killed me or if he's just being haunted by his conscience." Clarkson then resurfaces from the bathtub, as the ex-boyfriend wakes up from the dream, still in his car. When he walks out, Clarkson leaves the house and drives off in the car, leaving her ex-boyfriend behind. Clarkson also performs the song with her band in an empty white room, all wearing white clothes, during various scenes in the music video. Clarkson said the white theme was present not because she was getting "artsy-fartsy" but "because it's been ripped of innocence. Anyone who's ever been in love, when it goes bad — and sadly, everyone can relate in some manner — it just gets cold and it's hard to get past that."
There are released 2 remix videos: the Dave Audé Club Mix and the Jason Nevins Club Mix
based solely on radio airplay on April 26, 2007. The next week, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs
chart at #4 with more than 100,000 downloads, subsequently making its Billboard Hot 100
debut at #8. The following three weeks the song fell to #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, but regained momentum, jumping from #17 to #9 after Clarkson's appearance on American Idol's season six finale
. However, its chart strength was largely due to a high number of digital downloads. After only peaking at #47 on the Hot 100 Airplay
Chart (in comparison, all five of the Breakaway singles had been top ten airplay hits), the track was already being pulled from some stations, leading to the unusual step of releasing "Sober
" as the second single, only about six weeks later and ahead of the album's release.
The song debuted and peaked at #9 on the UK singles chart
, entering the chart after the CD single
was released in June.
In Australia, the song debuted at number five on the ARIA Singles Chart, making it the song's highest debut worldwide to date. The song also showed progress in the Australian digital chart with the song leaping from #24 to #12 within a week. After her promotional tour in October, the song rose from #50 to #30 in one week. It was also a radio success, peaking at #2 in the Radio Top 100, and spent 50 weeks on the charts, before exiting on 29 May 2008. It spent a total of 22 weeks in the ARIA Chart Top 50, making it the longest running song of Clarkson on the chart to date, and was the 40th highest selling single in Australia of 2007.
"Never Again" became part of the set list for the "2 Worlds, 2 Voices Tour 2008
".
Released June 12, 2007
Released May 2007
Released April 23, 2007
Released October 23, 2007
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
singer Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
and Jimmy Messer, and is the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from her third studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, My December
My December
My December is the third studio album by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson. The album was released on June 22, 2007 throughout most of Europe , on June 23, 2007 in Australia, on June 25, 2007 in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Poland, and on June 26, 2007 in North America...
(2007).
As of Feb 11, 2010 the song has logged 1.078 million digital downloads. The song was nominated for Payback Track on the 2007 Teen Choice Awards. This song was #99 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
This song also ranked #63 on AT40's 100 Most Played Songs of 2007. It also ranked at #70 on Billboard
In July 2007, the single was certified gold by the RIAA, marking shipments of over 500,000 copies in the United States. As of April 2010, the song has sold over one million digital downloads.
Background
According to MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, the song was inspired by the end of Clarkson's relationship with David Hodges
David Hodges
David Hodges is a songwriter, producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist from Little Rock, Arkansas. He is best known for his work with the band Evanescence, which he left in 2002. He has also been part of the bands Trading Yesterday, The Age of Information, Avox, and David Hodges solo...
, although she has not publicly confirmed that statement. It also provided some of the inspiration for the songs "Behind These Hazel Eyes
Behind These Hazel Eyes
"Behind These Hazel Eyes" is the third single from Breakaway, the second album by pop singer Kelly Clarkson.-Song information:...
" and "Where Is Your Heart" on her second studio album, Breakaway (2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
). She wrote it around late 2004 as a contrast to those songs, saying that "neither was originally written" with that thought in mind and were adjusted "after the fact." In addition, she thought that it was "nastier" than those songs, so she considered dropping it from the track listing of her third album, My December. Yet, she decided to keep it because she thought it would be appropriate as the opening track on the album, which was later released as the first single from My December. "It's just got such great energy", Clarkson said. "It's so blunt — I was so angry — and it reads so well, so we just went with it."
Clarkson has cited the influence of Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
's 1995 single "You Oughta Know
You Oughta Know
"You Oughta Know" is a alternative rock song, which also is known for its grunge effect styles in it. The instruments held in it are guitars, electric guitars, drums and drum machine...
" and Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...
on "Never Again"; according to her, someone at her label disliked the song because it was too similar to Benatar's music. "I was like, 'Now I really like it! I love her, and what's wrong with you?'", Clarkson said. "I love any kind of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
chick who's just totally into what she's doing. What's funny is that we now think of her as a rock icon, but she was pretty pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
as well. And I'm pretty pop too — I'm a rock/pop
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
girl, which is cool with me."
Single release
Clarkson confirmed the title and release date of the single on April 4, 2007 on her official website. "Never Again" was made available for sale on April 20, 2007 on the iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, but was removed after several hours. The single was permanently available for download on the U.S. iTunes Store by April 23, 2007, becoming the only format available in the United States. The single was later released in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2007, about one month after the major releases of the single in several countries.
Music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
, was shot in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
from April 11 to April 13, 2007. Kahn directed two of Clarkson's previous videos: "Behind These Hazel Eyes
Behind These Hazel Eyes
"Behind These Hazel Eyes" is the third single from Breakaway, the second album by pop singer Kelly Clarkson.-Song information:...
" and "Walk Away
Walk Away (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Walk Away" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson on her second album, Breakaway, and was the album's fifth and final single.In March 2006, the single was certified gold by RIAA and has sold over 500,000 copies in all formats in the United States...
". The video premiered on TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
on May 1, 2007, peaked at number one on May 10, 2007, and held the top position four times. It also debuted at number 8 on VH1's V-Spot countdown and has since climbed to number 3 on V-Spot's latest episode. The music video was made available for download on the U.S. iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on May 11, 2007.
The plot involves Clarkson's character's ex-boyfriend (Dominic Figlio) attempting to drown her in her bathtub. Then, he heads to an airport to meet his new girlfriend, but he is wracked with guilt over what he has done. Apparitions of Clarkson are present in his car, and again at the airport to haunt him. Clarkson said the video was similar to the 2000 film What Lies Beneath
What Lies Beneath
What Lies Beneath is a 2000 American supernatural horror-thriller film directed by Robert Zemeckis. It stars veteran actors Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a well-to-do couple who experience a strange haunting that uncovers secrets about their past....
because, as she put it, "You don't know if he killed me or if he's just being haunted by his conscience." Clarkson then resurfaces from the bathtub, as the ex-boyfriend wakes up from the dream, still in his car. When he walks out, Clarkson leaves the house and drives off in the car, leaving her ex-boyfriend behind. Clarkson also performs the song with her band in an empty white room, all wearing white clothes, during various scenes in the music video. Clarkson said the white theme was present not because she was getting "artsy-fartsy" but "because it's been ripped of innocence. Anyone who's ever been in love, when it goes bad — and sadly, everyone can relate in some manner — it just gets cold and it's hard to get past that."
There are released 2 remix videos: the Dave Audé Club Mix and the Jason Nevins Club Mix
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
|||
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
||||
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
||||
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
||||
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
||||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Chart performance
"Never Again" debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
based solely on radio airplay on April 26, 2007. The next week, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart at #4 with more than 100,000 downloads, subsequently making its Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
debut at #8. The following three weeks the song fell to #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, but regained momentum, jumping from #17 to #9 after Clarkson's appearance on American Idol's season six finale
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
. However, its chart strength was largely due to a high number of digital downloads. After only peaking at #47 on the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
Chart (in comparison, all five of the Breakaway singles had been top ten airplay hits), the track was already being pulled from some stations, leading to the unusual step of releasing "Sober
Sober (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Sober" is a song composed by American pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson, Aben Eubanks, Calamity McEntire, and Jimmy Messer. It was released as the second and final U.S. single from her third studio album, My December in the United States.-Background:...
" as the second single, only about six weeks later and ahead of the album's release.
The song debuted and peaked at #9 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, entering the chart after the CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
was released in June.
In Australia, the song debuted at number five on the ARIA Singles Chart, making it the song's highest debut worldwide to date. The song also showed progress in the Australian digital chart with the song leaping from #24 to #12 within a week. After her promotional tour in October, the song rose from #50 to #30 in one week. It was also a radio success, peaking at #2 in the Radio Top 100, and spent 50 weeks on the charts, before exiting on 29 May 2008. It spent a total of 22 weeks in the ARIA Chart Top 50, making it the longest running song of Clarkson on the chart to date, and was the 40th highest selling single in Australia of 2007.
"Never Again" became part of the set list for the "2 Worlds, 2 Voices Tour 2008
2 Worlds, 2 Voices Tour 2008
The 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American recording artists Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson that took place in two segments during 2008. The tour only visited North America...
".
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
5 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
8 |
| Czech Airplay Chart | 66 |
| European Hot 100 | 23 |
| German Singles Chart | 19 |
| Austria Top 75 | 36 |
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... Singles Chart |
15 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
11 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... Singles Chart |
20 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Pop Songs | 12 |
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Gold | 1,106,000 |
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Never Again".- CD single (basic)
Released June 12, 2007
| Format | # | Track list | Time | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Never Again" (CD single) |
1. | "Never Again" | 3:36 | |
| 2. | "Never Again" (Dave Audé Radio Remix) | 4:11 |
- CD maxi-single (promotional)
Released May 2007
| Format | # | Track list | Time | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Never Again: Remixes" (promo CD maxi-single) |
1. | "Never Again" (Dave Audé Club Mix) | 7:55 |
|
| 2. | "Never Again" (Jason Nevins Club Mix) | 7:42 | ||
| 3. | "Never Again" (Dave Audé Mixshow) | 6:10 | ||
| 4. | "Never Again" (Jason Nevins Club Mixshow) | 6:12 | ||
| 5. | "Never Again" (Dave Audé Radio Mix) | 4:11 | ||
| 6. | "Never Again" (Jason Nevins Radio Mixshow) | 6:42 | ||
| 7. | "Never Again" (Jason Nevins Club Radio Mix) | 3:56 | ||
| 8. | "Never Again" (Jason Nevins Radio Mix) | 3:53 | ||
| 9. | "Never Again" (Jason Nevins Padappella) | 2:55 |
- iTunes Digital Single
Released April 23, 2007
| Format | # | Track list | Time | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Never Again" - single (digital single) |
1. | "Never Again" | 3:37 | |
- Ringle
Released October 23, 2007
| Format | # | Track list | Time | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Never Again" (CD single) |
1. | "Never Again" (Album Version) | 3:36 | |
| 2. | "Never Again" (Dave Audé Remix) | 4:11 | ||
| 3. | "Sober" | 4:50 |