Kelly Clarkson / YouTube Kelly Clarkson
“The Voice” coach Kelly Clarkson isn’t afraid to sing in public, and the “Kelly Clarkson Show” host did just that in a June 9 Instagram post when she surprised unassuming fans with an impromptu flash mob performance of her single “Favorite Kind of High”.
“This was so fun, y’all! 😂 I got together with a bunch of amazing singers and flashmobbed people in LA,” Clarkson captioned the post, which saw her singing to a small crowd eating lunch at a Sweetgreen salad shop, accompanied by the choral group Tonality with an a cappella arrangement of the song by Alexander Lloyd Blake.
“Favorite Kind of High” is the second single released from Clarkson’s forthcoming 10th studio album “Chemistry”, which drops in full on June 23, 2023. It was preceded by the songs “Me” and “Mine”, which were shared in a joint release, and was followed by singles “I Hate Love (featuring Steve Martin)” and “Red Flag Collector”.
Entertainment Tonight shared another clip from the day, in which Clarkson and Tonality moved along to a coffeeshop for another pop-up performance of her song “Me”.
Kelly Clarkson Ambushes Fans With ‘Favorite Kind of High’ Performance
Tonality shared their own post reflecting on the process of working with Clarkson, writing, “We had a blast singing @alexanderlblake’s arrangement of “Favorite Kind of High” by Kelly Clarkson from her upcoming album ‘Chemistry’ which drops June 23. We’ve always loved how boldly Kelly sings about her personal journey of self-discovery and the highs and lows of the human experience. At [Tonality] we believe in the power of music to transcend boundaries and transform the very fabric of our existence.”
Fans in the comment section of Clarkson’s flash mob post were thrilled to hear the a cappella arrangement and see the impromptu performance, though many had notes on the reactions of those who got to see the performance in person.
“THIS is the American Dream… Getting flash mobbed by Kelly Clarkson,” one user wrote, adding in a second comment, “All those people are acting way too chill being serenaded by THE American Idol. Stand and salute!!”
“The audience needs to step up when the Queen is singing 😌” another comment read.
“This crowd wasn’t itttt — y’all deserved way more applause / surprise / omg it’s Kelly Clarkson!!!” a third user added.
Many of the audience members at the performance were very attentive, taking out their phones to capture the fleeting performance, and applauding at the end, however there were some viewers sitting at the Sweetgreen who continued on eating their salads, not paying much mind to the song being sung mere feet away from them.
Kelly Clarkson Surprised a Bride & Groom at Their Wedding Reception
These “Chemistry” flash mobs are not Clarkson’s first time surprising fans with a performance. In a 2019 YouTube clip, the singer can be seen surprising a very delighted bride and groom by serenading them during their first dance with her song “Piece by Piece”, a song about her relationship with her father and love for her now-ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, who is now (partially) a subject of “Chemistry”, as much of the album will focus on Clarkson and Blackstock’s 2020 divorce.
“Stacy this is for you,” Clarkson tells the bride right after being revealed.
“You didn’t know she was going to be here? Swear to god?” Stacy then asked her groom, who admits he was just as surprised as she was.
Clarkson had to interrupt herself during the performance, as she was getting choked up near the end. “It’s hard to sing at a wedding!” she said with a laugh before finishing with the audience cheering her on.
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