Kelly Clarkson MEANING OF LIFE

With Meaning of Life, Kelly Clarkson opens up a new chapter of her career, moving from RCA to Atlantic Records. Switching labels gives Clarkson the freedom to pursue a different kind of music, an opportunity she seizes here by leaning hard into soul and R&B. Clarkson doesn't entirely abandon adult-leaning pop -- Greg Kurstin, one of the producers du jour in 2017, comes aboard for the sparkling "Would You Call That Love," a song that glistens -- but there's an undeniable soulful undercurrent on Meaning of Life. Certain styles bubble to the surface -- "Love So Soft" has a bounce straight out of Motown, "Heat" has a bit of gospel fire, "Move You" is Southern vamp -- but even if the construction is a throwback, the production on Meaning of Life is thoroughly modern, a seamless hybrid of retro flourishes and crisp electronics. There's a clean sheen to the sound, but Clarkson never seems to be chasing trends. As the title suggests, there's a maturity in the perspective of Meaning of Life