Kelly Clarkson Mourns ‘The One That Got Away’ in Emotional Katy Perry Cover: Watch
It’s officially 2023, and you know what that means: Another year of Kellyoke covers. On the Tuesday (Jan. 3) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show — her second since New Year’s — Kelly Clarkson treated fans to a stunning, stripped back performance of Katy Perry‘s 2010 hit “The One That Got Away,” featuring guitarist Jaco Caraco.
Though the “Stronger” singer is usually accompanied by her full backup band Y’all, Caraco was the only musician to join her onstage for this performance. He strummed delicate patterns on an acoustic guitar as Clarkson, lit by the soft yellow glow of her stage lights, sang Perry’s emotional lyrics with a specific blend of softness and power only she can deliver.
“In another life, I would be your girl / We keep all our promises, be us against the world,” belted the three-time Grammy winner. “In another life, I would make you stay / So I don’t have to say you were the one that got away.”
The track was originally released on Perry’s critically-acclaimed third studio record Teenage Dream, which effectively served as a blueprint for 2010s pop music and became the second album in history to offer five No. 1 singles: “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” “The One That Got Away,” meanwhile, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Clarkson’s cover marks the second Kellyoke of the new year, following Monday’s (Jan. 2) performance of Scandal’s “The Warrior.” Before the Dec. 31 ball drop, she filled the daily live performance time slots leading up to Christmas with holiday covers of songs like “Sisters” from the film White Christmas and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” along with a solo rendition of her own festive duet with Ariana Grande, “Santa Can’t You Hear Me?”
Watch Kelly Clarkson perform Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” on The Kelly Clarkson Show below.
Hannah Dailey
Billboard
