Kelly Clarkson Golden Reaction | Everyone's talking about the top note, but something else hit me

Kelly Clarkson sang "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters in the original key on the final Kellyoke. That sounds like a small thing until you know that the women who recorded it don't — when Huntr/x perform it live, they drop it. I know that because I sat and analysed one of those live performances on this channel a few months ago. I'm Rachel Walker Mason — BBC-recognised songwriting expert, Grammy voting member and Estill-qualified vocal producer — and this is my reaction to Kelly Clarkson covering "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters on the final Kellyoke, the most requested cover in the show's history. So this is the third time I've been round this song, and that's exactly why I could hear what she did. She didn't just hold the key. She went up to that high A in full belt, where EJAE flips into a lighter quality at the top — which is what I do, and what I taught my own daughter to do when she wanted to sing this. Kelly doesn't flip. She goes up in full power and lands every note bang in the centre, in the middle of a talk show she's been hosting all day, in Korean she doesn't speak. In this reaction I break down: 🎸 The original key — why A is so much harder than G, why it makes the song ring, and what Huntr/x do instead when they sing it live 🎤 Belt versus flip — the top note EJAE floats and Kelly hammers, and why almost no singer can make that choice 🔻 The low notes, which nobody is talking about — how you get out of singing quality into speech quality to reach the bottom of this song, with a demonstration and something you can try at home tonight 🇰🇷 The Korean she kept in rather than translating, and why that's extra work most cover artists skip 📺 Why the Brits performance sounded rough and the Grammys one didn't, and why that's not the singers' fault 📼 What Kelly Clarkson has to do with Taylor Swift owning her own masters I've got a horrible cold in this one, so the demonstrations are what they are. You'll cope. ═══════════════════════ ⏰ CHAPTERS ═══════════════════════ 0:00 Everyone's been talking about this one 1:05 A fan since the very first American Idol 1:54 Why "Golden" is so hard to cover 2:27 She sang it in the original key — Huntr/x don't 3:16 The range this song actually demands 4:56 Not only did she sing it, she belted it 6:40 She kept the Korean, mid-talk-show 8:19 The low notes, and getting out of singing quality 11:25 What Kelly Clarkson did for Taylor Swift 12:11 My verdict on this cover ═══════════════════════ 🎵 ORIGINAL VIDEO ═══════════════════════ 'Golden' from Kpop Demon Hunters | Kelly Clarkson Kellyoke Cover → 'Golden' from Kpop Demon Hunters | Kelly C... Performed by Kelly Clarkson with My Band Y'all on The Kelly Clarkson Show. This was the final Kellyoke, and the most requested cover in the segment's run. "Golden" is from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack All credit to Kelly Clarkson and The Kelly Clarkson Show. 👇 Tell me in the comments: do you prefer the belt or the flip on that top note? And if you've found a Kelly Clarkson cover I should react to next, put it below — she has never once disappointed me. ═══════════════════════ SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ═══════════════════════ You're under no obligation whatsoever to do any of this. You can watch my videos and just enjoy them, and that is genuinely lovely. But if you'd like to: 🎨 Patreon — every video ad-free AND un-obscured, no CTA cards over the footage, plus surprises just for the Colourwave Crew: Patreon: RachelWalkerMason ☕ Buy me a tea (I'm British, it's mostly tea): https://buymeacoffee.com/rachelwalker... 🛍️ Merch — mugs, travel mugs, hats, notebooks, bags, all with "have a colourful day": https://listen-in-colour-with-rachel-... 📌 Subscribe for songwriter breakdowns, vocal analysis and first-time reactions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday: https://www.youtube.com/@ListenInColo... 📱 FIND ME HERE: Instagram: Instagram: rachelwalkermason TikTok: TikTok: rachelwalkermason Facebook: Facebook: rachelwalkermason 🛋️ My studio sofa — Valencia Tuscany. Quiet enough to record next to, USB-A and USB-C, full recline: https://us.valenciatheaterseating.com... 👤 ABOUT BBC-recognised songwriting expert | Grammy voting member | Ivors Academy | Songwriters Hall of Fame executive member | Billboard Top 20 | UK Chart Top 10 | Estill-qualified vocal producer | Synesthete 🎨 Have a colourful day. #KellyClarkson #Golden #KPopDemonHunters #Kellyoke #GrammyMemberReacts #SongwriterReacts #VocalAnalysis #Huntrix #EJAE #ListenInColour