Kelly Clarkson, ‘Tie It Up’ – Song Review
'Tie It Up' is the song purists who hate that Kelly Clarkson is releasing country music have been waiting for. It's unapologetically loud and pop-friendly. It doesn't pay tribute to any legend (male or female) or include vocals from any legend (male or female). It doesn't have much (if any) fiddle or steel guitar, and it's about as organic as a bag of Skittles.
But Clarkson's followup to 'Don't Rush' is equally impossible to resist. The first time you roll through her chorus, you may find yourself rolling your eyes at the "Woo!" By the second or third time, you'll be throwing your hands in the air like you've just chased a shot of sour apple Pucker with a flute of champagne at her wedding.
"I love the ring of your name / You're the ying to my yang / Oh baby, let's give it a shot (woo!) / Every wall needs a frame / Every ball needs a chain / I'm talkin' about tying the knot / Tie it up," Clarkson sings with the excitement only a bride-to-be can muster.
Hey, you can't say she's being insincere.
Clarkson makes marriage look cool, even if she's still a ways away from her union to Brandon Blackstock. The 'Tie It Up' lyrics are a corny and cliche at times, but the way she turns the phrases makes even the borrowed lines seem fresh.
"Well first comes love and then comes / First date first kiss, we were checkin' off the list / Then you were gettin' down on your knee / And you didn't have to guess, it was always a yes / Now there's two less fish in the sea," she sings early on.
Later, it's: "Something old, something new / Something borrowed, something blue / And the chairs lined up in the yard / The I dos and the kisses / From a miss to a misses / Can't wait for forever to start."
Like Skittles, 'Tie It Up' is sinfully delicious, but ultimately not a song you'll turn to to fill up on. Vocally, Clarkson goes for broke very early, leaving little to appreciate by the middle. Her smiling personality will win over many -- maybe even enough to make this song a Top 10 hit. But it's songs like 'Don't Rush,' not this one, that will ultimately make her a country star.
Listen to Kelly Clarkson, 'Tie It Up'