KISS 108's Jingle Ball 2017

After snatching the crown on the inaugural season of American Idol in 2002, Kelly Clarkson found herself between pop-rock and a hard place: a seven-album recording contract with RCA Records but an uphill battle for creative control of her own career. Finally free of that RCA deal, Clarkson is climbing off the Idol pedestal and forging her own path with her latest album, Meaning of Life. Infused with a soulful, R&B vibe, standouts include “Didn’t I” and the ’90s throwback “Medicine,” though she proves she can still bring the beats with the sizzling, up-tempo “Heat.” Pucker up when the chanteuse hits the TD Garden as part of Kiss 108’s Jingle Ball on Dec. 10. / Nathan Tavares                                                  

Photo: Vincent Peters