Kelly Clarkson, ‘People Like Us’ – Song Review

Kelly Clarkson's latest single is an anthem for everyone who's down on their luck. Called 'People Like Us,' the song is the latest release from Clarkson's 'Greatest Hits: Chapter One' collection.

The track opens with a spoken word intro that recalls Prince's "Dearly beloved..." from 'Let's Go Crazy,' then opens into an up-tempo pop melody as Clarkson reassures her audience, "I know what you're going through / Don't let it get the best of you / You'll make it out alive / People like us, we've gotta stick together / Keep your heard up, nothing lasts forever."

It says a lot about Clarkson's talents that she's still able to get away with singing about being a down-on-her-luck outsider even though she's been a mainstream pop star for more than a decade. Yes, she's had her share of setbacks in the industry, such as her run-ins with Clive Davis, but life has been mostly good for Kelly ever since she auditioned for 'American Idol' in 2002.

Still, everyone feels like an outcast sometimes. And Clarkson is great at playing that role, so when she sings, "It's hard to get high when you're livin' on the bottom," you can imagine many of her fans who feel like they don't fit in finding support from her words.

'People Like Us' has an infectious melody, but it sounds just like any number of pop-songs-with-attitude that we've heard in recent years from artists like Pink, especially with those generic "woah-oh-oh" chorus chants. Clarkson gets no points for originality, but partial credit for an inspiring message.

Listen to Kelly Clarkson' 'People Like Us'