Kelly Clarkson does a brilliant job of entertaining her viewers by doing her own rendition of other artist’s smash hits on her daily talk show. Her “Kellyoke” segment on Apr. 30 featured one of Kel’s best covers ever. The 38-year-old sang Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like a Prayer” and with her powerful voice, she elevated it to a whole new level. She performed it remotely from her Montana ranch, while Kelly was joined virtually by her band mates at their own isolation locations.
Kelly kept things so simple she didn’t even wear any makeup, except for a light foundation layer. Her shoulder-length blonde hair hung loose against her face without a big style job, as she wore a casual black V-neck sweater. She sat on a chair in a corner, with cozy wood paneling all around her and several Western style rugs behind her shoulder as wall hangings. It was so minimalistic that the setting turned out perfect for her to belt out such a breathtaking and iconic song, as all of the focus was on Kelly’s pipes.
Madonna’s infamous music video for the tune featured her dancing in front of burning KKK crosses, stigmata references and kissing a come-to-life black saint. It was condemned by the Vatican and caused Pepsi to pull their sponsorship of the singer after religious and family values groups protested. But Kelly just sat in her chair – shot only from her shoulders up — and sang the song while rocking her head back and forth. It was so uplifting and probably one of the greatest covers of the “Like a Prayer” that’s ever been done. Her Grammy winning voice elevates everything Kelly sings, and the song — written by Madonna and frequent collaborator Patrick Leonard — has stood the test of time that any truly great song can. Kelly could release the cover today and have a number one smash, 31 years after “Like a Prayer” dropped.
This is just another example of how Kelly can crush just about any tune. She performed Selena Gomez’s deeply personal ballad “Lose You To Love Me,” when the 27-year-old singer appeared on Kelly’s daytime talk show on March 9, just prior to the coronavirus lockdowns. It was so filled with emotion that one would think Kelly was the one who had her heart broken.