“The Kelly Clarkson Show” came to an end Monday after seven seasons, bringing with it the final installment of the fan-favorite musical segment that became a signature part of the daytime talk show.
During the long-awaited performance, Clarkson gave fans one final “Kellyoke” — and she saved her most-requested cover ever for the occasion.
Kelly Clarkson Performs ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Hit ‘Golden’ During Show Finale
For her last cover, Clarkson, 44, took on a song that viewers had been asking her to perform since last summer: “Golden” from Netflix’s animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters.”
As reported by Parade, “Golden” received more fan requests than any other song in “Kellyoke” history.
The performance gave Clarkson the chance to put her own spin on the hit originally performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, who provide the singing voices behind the movie’s fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X.
It also wasn’t Clarkson’s first time dipping into the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack. She and her house band, My Band Y’all, previously covered “What It Sounds Like.”
Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Kellyoke’ Ends After More Than 800 Performances
During the taping of the finale, Clarkson acknowledged that “Golden” isn’t an easy song to perform. Still, she took on the demanding track for the final edition of the segment that has produced hundreds of covers over the show’s seven-season run.
The performance marked a fitting conclusion to “Kellyoke,” which regularly featured Clarkson reimagining songs spanning genres and generations.
Over the years, the segment also caught the attention of some of the artists whose music Clarkson covered.
Alex Duda, executive producer and showrunner of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” reflected on the role music played in connecting Clarkson with viewers and other musicians.
“Music was was basically our shortcut to connection, and I think it was one of our biggest cultural contributions was that our show became that rare place where artists could hear their own music reinterpreted by one of the greatest vocalists of our generation,” Duda said.
Over the course of the show, Clarkson performed more than 800 “Kellyoke” covers.
Kelly Clarkson Celebrates ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ Finale with Her Biggest Hits
Her take on “Golden” may have closed out the segment, but it wasn’t the only musical performance she had planned for the show’s farewell.
Clarkson revisited several songs from her own catalog as part of the special “Kelly By Request” finale.
The episode featured performances of some of her biggest hits, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Stronger,” “Sober” and “Piece by Piece.” She also performed “Didn’t I” and gave the first televised performance of her newest song, “I’d Be Lyin’.”
The final taping was a family affair for Clarkson as well.
Her daughter, River Rose, 12, and son, Remington Alexander, 10, were both in the audience as their mom closed out the show she had hosted for seven seasons. Clarkson shares her two children with her late ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
The singer described filming the final episode as ”bittersweet,” an understandable sentiment after a run that began in 2019 and ultimately turned “Kellyoke” into one of the program’s defining features.
