RCA chairman Clive Davis reportedly wasn't a big fan of the musical content of Kelly Clarkson's third album "My December," but the same apparently can't be said for the original American Idol champion's fans.
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Clarkson's album trailed only "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus," two-disc 20-set set that combines Cyrus' debut album with music from the popular Disney Channel TV show that the 14-year-old stars in. Cyrus -- the daughter of country singer, Hannah Montana co-star and fourth-season Dancing with the Stars participant Billy Ray Cyrus -- sold 326,000 copies in her album's first week of release.
"My December's" debut week sales surpassed those of "Breakaway," Clarkson's Grammy-winning 2004 second album that has since sold over 10 million copies. "Breakaway," which was released during the more competitive holiday season sales period, debuted at No. 3 and sold 250,000 copies in its first week of release in November 2004.
Although it beat "Breakaway's" debut, "My December" fell just short of setting a debut week album sales record for Clarkson. "Thankful," the original Idol winner's debut album, debuted at No. 1 and sold 297,000 copies during its first week of release in April 2003.
Clarkson finished recording "My December" for RCA in January, however it wasn't released until June 26. The reasoning behind its delay, according to Entertainment Weekly, was because Davis "sat" on "My December" for four months hoping Clarkson would use the same producers who helped her craft "Breakaway."
The behind-the-scenes strife eventually spilled over into the media, causing Clarkson to call her label's song suggestions "insulting" and grouse that she "could give a crap about being a star" and Davis to use his sixth-season American Idol finale speech to champion songwriters and take a not-so-subtle swipe at Clarkson's decision to stand her ground.
Last month, new controversy erupted when Clarkson decided to part ways with Jeff Kwatinetz, her longtime manager, and postpone her upcoming large-venue summer tour just two weeks before "My December's" release. On Monday, Clarkson announced she has signed a new management deal with Starstruck Entertainment, a Nashville-based company operated by Narvel Blackstock, the husband of Reba McEntire, the country star that Clarkson considers her "musical hero."
"My December's" first week sales performance is the biggest Idol-related album debut since fifth-season Idol champ Taylor Hicks moved 298,000 copies of his self-titled debut when it was released in early December.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
