Kelly Clarkson weighs on giving emotional depth to ‘Piece by Piece’

Kelly Clarkson’s smashing hit Piece by Piece has been a fan favourite for years, but its recent metamorphosis has brought it to new emotional depths.

The Grammy-winning performer recently discussed her choice to modify the words, giving the song a “divorce makeover” to allow her to perform it without revisiting her prior grief.

Clarkson described her motivation for the lyrical modifications in an honest interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

She confessed, “Look, I was finding a hard time singing, like, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to really sing about that? I was at a very different place when I wrote it.”

The song, which was inspired by her difficult childhood and her father’s departure, no longer spoke to her.

Clarkson decided to change the lyrics to reflect her newly discovered strength and independence.

During an impassioned live performance in Las Vegas, she replaced “he” with “I,” transforming the song into a passionate self-affirmation. Fans have affectionately referred to this rendition as the “healing version.”

The singer revealed that she decided to modify the lyrics barely one hour before performing in Vegas. This transformation’s emotional journey provided her with clarity and helped her overcome the pressures of revisiting her terrible history.

Clarkson stressed that her recent studio album, Chemistry, was not exclusively a “divorce album,” but rather a reflection of the ups and downs of relationships, both good and terrible. Chemistry, the album’s title, depicts both the positive and unpleasant elements of relationships, a concept that is extremely personal to her.