The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube Kelly Clarkson Covers 'Waiting For Tonight'
Kellyoke has become a popular fixture of “The Kelly Clarkson Show”. In the segment, which calls back to the host’s “American Idol” roots, Kelly Clarkson performs covers of some of her favorite songs for her studio audiences to open each episode. Clarkson’s interpretations of every song she does, from the pop hits of today to the disco hits of the ‘70s, frequently make headlines.
Fans aren’t shy to show Clarkson their praise on social media, but this week one fan in particular stood out from the crowd: Jennifer Lopez.
When Clarkson performed a “sultry” rendition of J.Lo’s 1999 single “Waiting for Tonight” on her October 4 episode, J.Lo quote tweeted the clip, writing, “Fangirling so hard right now I stan @kellyclarkson”.
This is not the first time Lopez has spoken about her love for Clarkson.
The ‘Idol’ Judge Has Been a Kelly Clarkson Fan for Years
Kelly and J.Lo have worked together on “American Idol” before, with Clarkson serving as a guest judge alongside Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., and Keith Urban for season 15’s Top 10 live episode. During the episode, Clarkson performed her song “Piece by Piece”, bringing herself, Lopez, and Keith Urban to tears.
J.Lo spoke about this moving performance in an interview for “Late Night with Seth Meyers”, with Meyers calling the performance, “one of the all-time great [‘American Idol’] moments”. Lopez agreed, saying “I was so into her performance and watching her and feeling so much for her, I didn’t even realize Keith Urban was falling apart next to me!”
According to the Daily Mail, Lopez even defended Clarkson for crying during the performance, as Clarkson was pregnant at the time with her son, Remington.
The pair were later reunited at NBC when they filmed a promotional video for “The Voice” (where Clarkson was a judge) and “World of Dance” (where Lopez served as a judge and executive producer). In the promo, the two pop stars accidentally switch wardrobes, with Clarkson wearing Lopez’s dress as a scarf.
J.Lo Isn’t the Only Celeb ‘Fangirling’ Over Clarkson
“Waiting for Tonight” isn’t the first Kellyoke cover to get the attention of its original artist. In September 2021, Janet Jackson tweeted out Clarkson’s rendition of her song “Escapade” with the caption, “Luv u @kellyclarkson! 😘”
Jackson then surprised audiences by appearing virtually on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” to share her support.
“I love the way you cover my music,” Jackson told the host, “I think you’re an absolutely wonderful singer, and I love to hear it, so thank you.
Pop superstar Mariah Carey has also praised Clarkson’s takes on one of her class songs. According to Entertainment Tonight, Carey responded to Clarkson’s Instagram cover of Carey’s 1990 song “Vanishing”, calling it a “Beautiful rendition!” and telling Clarkson to “Keep the videos coming!”
With all these famous fans, Clarkson, who just received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has come a long way.
In an interview with Jennifer Love Hewitt for “The Kelly Clarkson Show”, the singer revealed that celebrities used to be mean to her. “People were really mean to us because we’re from a talent show and it was the first season,” Clarkson told Hewitt.
Luckily, Clarkson now has scores of fans who can’t wait to see what new songs she covers in each episode.
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” airs on weekdays, with past episodes available on Peacock. Showtimes can be found by checking your local listings.