The new Kelly Clarkson single probably contains one of the most unusual compositions heard in recent pop.
We’re not referring to the music, which again blends styles as usual. ‘I’d Be Lyin’ moves between pop-rock, funk and clear country roots, with guitars that call to mind Prince’s Kiss as well as HAIM’s riffs, and a nod to Clarkson’s biggest hit.
Today’s Song of the Day, ‘I’d Be Lyin’ may not be the immediate anthem that was ‘Since U Been Gone’, but melodically it has the potential to become a hit. The progression is engineered to the millimeter, building tension until it erupts into a cathartic chorus, while the bridge is pure vocal display. And yes, the track still makes the effort to include a real bridge.
But when we say that I’d Be Lyin’ is an unusual song it’s not because of its production, but because of its lyrics. Clarkson builds the entire track on a clever game of retracting statements and irony: each verse reads like a confession of heartbreak only to be contradicted right away.
«It’s not the same without ya», «You are right where I belong» or «There’s not a day that goes by without you crossin’ my mind» seem like the words of someone unable to move on from a breakup. However, the pre-chorus negates it all: «Ain’t what I’m sayin’ / If I said that then… I’d be lyin’». Country irony squared.
The key comes in the chorus with «You’re hearin’ only what you’re wantin’ to» («You’re only hearing what you want to hear»). That phrase gives meaning to the whole song: the ex-lover still believes that Kelly misses him, while she makes clear that she’s moved on: «It took a while, but now I’m bulletproof». Or as she once said: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
