Heavy/NBCUniversal Kelly Clarkson
Prominent coach of “The Voice” Kelly Clarkson doesn’t appear to be going on tour any time soon.
Clarkson, who won’t rejoin the NBC staple for its upcoming 24th season, announced in March a 10-show Las Vegas residency coined “Chemistry: An Intimate Night With Kelly Clarkson” taking place from July 28 through August 19 at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood. It will follow the release of Clarkson’s newest album “Chemistry,” which is set to drop on June 23.
The “American Idol” season 1 winner shared the news during an episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” an NBC variety talk show she’s hosted since 2019. When doing so, she said she had only planned the Vegas stint. And Clarkson took to Instagram on June 2 to reiterate that the residency wasn’t a launching pad for a new tour.
“People are saying: ‘Are you going on tour?'” Clarkson said. “Here’s the thing. This is why I announced the 10 shows in Vegas. I was not being like, ‘Oh, it’s a secret — we’ve really got this huge tour we’re gonna do right after.’ It’s not that situation. It really is like — I don’t know if y’all noticed, but I have like a 9 to 5-er. Like, I have a job that’s like a lot of work and takes time. And I also have kids, you know? They’re in school.
“So I get really tied down to those things, obviously. So, we are trying to figure out what the possibilities are in certain parts of our calendar. We are trying to do that. But, I’m not like saying ‘Oh, there’s only 10 shows and really secretly there’s other ones.’ It’s really these 10 shows. That’s why I was very adamant about being very honest when I first announced it.
“These are going to be intimate and cool, and more rock-and-roll vibe. Not so Vegas-y like everywhere. But, it’s going to be really cool.
Kelly Clarkson Hasn’t Toured Since 2019
Clarkson hasn’t hit the road for a concert tour in years. The last time was in 2019 for Clarkson’s “Meaning of Life” tour which came about following her 2017 album of the same name. Clarkson has independently headlined eight tours since winning “American Idol” in 2002.
When announcing her “Chemistry: An Intimate Night With Kelly Clarkson” residency, Clarkson pointed to her busy life as why she was only putting on 10 performances.
“I’m only doing 10 shows,” Clarkson said. “I could only commit to 10 shows. That’s why it’s exclusive — there’s only 10 shows. I ain’t addin’ more. I’m telling you right now, mama needs a little bit of a minute of a break.”
Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Chemistry’ Covers ‘Many Stages of Grief and Loss’
“Chemistry” will mark Clarkson’s first album since divorcing Brandon Blackstock in 2021. In an April tweet, Clarkson pointed to the album being fueled by her relationship with Blackstock. “There are many stages of grief and loss on this album,” her statement reads. “Each song is a different stage and emotional state.”
Clarkson and Blackstock share two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander, and were married in 2013. Clarkson’s ex-husband is the son of her former manager, Narvel Blackstock, and the two went through a very public split (more on that here).
The three-time Grammy winner has remained a major name in the music industry since winning the singing competition show over two decades ago. Along with nine studio albums, Clarkson has numerous singles under her belt, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” and “Because of You.” The three songs have each reached over 500 million streams on Spotify. She has served as a coach on “The Voice” nine times and has picked up four wins.