Kelly Clarkson brought sunshine to her self-titled talk show on April 2, delivering a Kellyoke cover of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” that made the whole room light up.
Dressed stylishly in a slick pantsuit, Clarkson began the performance with a big smile and crisp, gorgeous vocals. Clarkson’s cover mirrored Joel’s original arrangement, but it was punctuated by her signature high belting notes. The Voice Coach alum breathed fresh air into the cherished 1983 tune. And, of course, the audience was on their feet the entire time, clapping to the beat. By the time Clarkson hit her final note, everyone successfully got their daily dose of serotonin.
Clarkson has such a phenomenal voice, she could make a nursery rhyme sound premium. Her rendition of “Uptown Girl” serves as a great reminder that regardless of genre, decade, or artist, she can make any song soar.
Watch the cover for yourself in the video above!
What to know about “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel
Kelly Clarkson at the 51st Daytime Emmy Awards on June 7, 2024 in Los Angeles, California; Billy Joel attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images/The Recording Academy
Joel released “Uptown Girl” in 1983 on his ninth studio album, An Innocent Man, and it’s since reached beloved-classic status. The song earned Joel a Grammy nomination in 1984 and remains one of his most endearing hits. The infectious track went triple platinum for a reason! It’s romantic, dreamy, and timeless — not to mention a wedding reception staple.
But who is the real-life “Uptown Girl” who inspired the song? In a 2010 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Joel revealed that he was inspired to write the single after re-entering the dating scene following his 1982 divorce. Joel began penning the tune while briefly dating supermodel Elle Macpherson, but by the time Joel finished the song, he was dating his second wife, model and actress Christie Brinkley.
Macpherson is only part of the story, though. After years of speculation over the track’s origins, Joel confirmed that numerous women inspired it. In fact, he originally wanted to call the track “Uptown Girls.”
Ultimately, Joel says the primary “Uptown Girl” who helped birthed the song is Brinkley. “I started dating Christie, and rather than it being about all these different girls, she became the uptown girl,” Joel said (via ABC).
Check your local listings for The Kelly Clarkson Show.
