“I’ve wanted to come to South Africa for years,” she drawls in a thick Southern accent. “I’d actually planned a safari three years ago and was so upset when I had to cancel.”
We’re chatting to US pop star Kelly Clarkson on the eve of her All I Ever Wanted world tour which includes a three-city stopover in South Africa. It will be the 27-year-old singer’s first time in the country and she can’t wait.
She says fans can expect a high-energy show without too many bells and whistles. “I’ll be running all over the place. It’s not a pyrotechnics show and the lighting will be simple. My music will be showcased. That’s what the fans like.”
In fact the Texas native is so down-to-earth she tours without bodyguards. With her it’s all about the music. Fans can expect to hear Kelly’s honey-smooth voice belting out at least 21 tracks. And, yes, she’ll sing hits from her latest album such as My Life Would Suck without You as well as her megahits Since U Been Gone and Because of You.
Singing wasn’t always on the cards for the 1,61 m tall star who often performs barefoot. She wanted to be a marine biologist but changed her mind after seeing the movie Jaws - it scared the aspirant scientist right out of her.
In 2002 Idols turned Kelly, who hates make-up and girly clothes and was a waitress at the time, into an overnight sensation.
She went on to produce four albums that sold more than 10 million copies in America alone. Three of her albums have gone platinum and her latest appears set to do the same. To date she’s also the top-selling American Idol contestant with more than 23 million albums sold worldwide.
But fame hasn’t been only a bed of roses. She has had to deal with criticism of her fluctuating weight and gossip that she’s gay.
“I love my body. I’m very much okay with it. I don’t think artists are ever the ones who have the problem with their weight; it’s other people.”
Then there are the rumours that she’s lesbian. “I prefer the boys. I’m extremely flattered when I get hit on by girls and I think it’s really hot but I’m not into it. I like boys.”
After the SA tour Kelly and her band head to New Zealand, Australia and Asia where they’ll tour until May. After that it’s back to her half-hectare property to start work on her fifth studio album.
- Kelly Clarkson will perform in Johannesburg on 12 March, Durban on 14 March and Cape Town on 17 March. Book at Computicket.