The "pop fluff" accusations are unfounded. Anyone that has dimissed Kelly's album as pure "fluff" has clearly not listened to the entire album. In fact, they probably dismissed it before even listening to the two or three songs that they actually heard. The fact is that for a pop star (ahem, "POP star"... get it? as in an American Idol, or Pop Idol... as in, what that whole contest was about) her CD is quite listenable and enjoyable. Of course it's pop music. What were you expecting? Rock-rap? Country? Opera? Come on, folks. I will admit that I had to listen to the CD a few times to get into it, but like I always say, really good music is not immediately accessible. It's SUPPOSED to take a few times around. Here's my song-by-song analysis:

1. The trouble with love - 4/5 - Nice, soulful song that displays her vocal range.

2. Miss Independent - 2/5 - A HORRIBLE first single. Who makes these decisions anyway? The song itself is ok, even those it operates only on "talk" and "shout." It just doesn't fit here and there are way better songs that could be first singles. There's a reason Christina didn't use this song.

3. Low - 5/5 - One of the best songs. Has a rock-pop edge to it. Very Sheryl Crow. Plus, Kelly just sounds great on this.

4. Some kind of miracle - 3/5 - Not one of Diane Warren's best. But it's decent and it gives Kelly something to sing solidly.

5. What's up lonely - 4/5 - Great R&B-pop song. This is the type of song I was hoping to hear on Kelly's CD. And thankfully, instead of filling the album with songs like this, this is the only one of its kind. (okay, maybe the first song sounds a bit like this)

6. Just missed the train - 4/5 - Another rockier edge. Good tune.

7. Beautiful Disaster - 4/5 - Guitar-driven pop. This song, "low," and "just missed the train" are not songs I would have expected to be on here, but they're great and they're perfect for Kelly.

8. You Thought Wrong - 5/5 - Definitely a pop song, but even this has both rock and r&b influences. Tamyra Gray appears here in a song about a boy that's done two girls wrong. At first I had a problem with the fact that it's hard to distinguish when Tamyra is singing and when Kelly is singing. But the song is so great it doesn't matter. Tamyra sounds great. Very "the boy is mine."

9. Thankful - 4/5 - Although Kelly sounds great on those pop songs with a rock edge, this is the type of song that was made for her to sing. Slower tempo, r&b influenced.

10. Anytime - 5/5 - This should be a single. Because it would go to #1. Another song that's perfect for her, and she's sounds great. Almost a gospel feel to it, but very much staying within its pop powerhouse kind of range.

11 & 12 - A Moment like this & Before your love - both 4/5 - I was going to give these a 3 out of 5 just because I'm so sick of them. The "new mix" isn't much of a mix (people have been expecting dance remixes... come on people, that's ridiculous, they'd never do that). But it's enough of a new mix that her voice can breathe a bit without being locked into that slick oily kind of pop sound. If you didn't like them before, you won't like them now... but if you did, they're still enjoyable.

Although similar, each song has it's own sound. Give it a try. And then another.

A fan of Kelly since the moment I first heard her, I have been waiting for this CD since September when she won American Idol. I can say that Kel sure did not disappoint me! This album is completely eclectic and every single song sounds different than the last. Except, of course, for the "supposed" mixes of AMLT and BYL.

01.) "The Trouble With Love Is" starts the album off with a familiar sound. Kelly's singing a bluesy ballad much like those she did on AI. The song focuses on the aspects of love and is awesome. {9/10}

This album shows that Kelly is very versitile and has absolute staying power. It's quite the debut and is the best album I've heard in a while. It is easy to listen to and transitions smoothly. She has the voice of an angel and the songs show that off. If you don't already have this album after 19 hours of it's release...I don't know what you're waiting on!

Anyone who bashes this CD for lack of creativity or talent must never have seen Kelly perform on AI (which leads me to wonder why the heck they bought the CD in the first place?) Since when do most young performers today write all of the songs on their albums, let alone their very first album? Let's look back at the 1960s as a previous reviewer noted and remember that many MANY "Idols" of yesterday were pre-fabricated and had successfull careers being just that. Since when is that a crime? Give the girl a break! Going into this project the whole world knew darn well what kind of CD this would be. Kelly wasn't chosen the winner for her writing abilities but for her vocal abilities. I must admit I was hesitating buying this CD. I didn't buy into the whole American Idol thing that much the first season but when I did happen to tune in and hear Kelly sing I was blown away and I kept going back. There was something about her voice that captured me and made me want to hear more. Her first album doesn't disappoint. If you're familiar with her style during AI and you actually did watch the show you'll already be familiar with "Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love" which were the 2 main reasons I bought this album. I didn't spend the dough for the single and was glad to see them on this album since that's what initally drew me in. When I heard "Anytime" during one of her appearances on AI2 it instantly became a favorite of mine and sealed the deal for me since it is also on the disk. True, Kelly will need to decide which way she goes on her next album - R&B or Pop - but the mixture of both on this one sounds okay. I feel that Clive Davis is trying to showcase Kelly's vocal diversity which is a welcome change from the popular hits that all sound the same. "Just Missed The Train" blends an intriguing sound of vocal harmonizing to make a train whistle sound for dramatic effect a few times during the song and the whole time the drive of the song is reminiscent of a train's movement. I'm a big fan of music that involves some creativity. I didn't care for the R&B tunes, not because Kelly didn't do them well, but because I'm a bigger fan of pop and hope that her next album will feature just pop. However, I do appreciate the risks she took and feel that those who know who Kelly is and what she brought to AI will be as "thankful" as I was that this CD surpassed my expectations!

Kelly definetly proves why she is the American Idol with this album.

This album is a nice blend of R&B and Pop music.

I'll go into an analysis of the different songs.

#1. The Trouble With Love Is

#2. Miss Independent

#3. Low

#4. Some Kind of a Miracle

#5. What's Up Lonely

#6. Just Missed The Train

#7. Beautiful Disaster

#8. You Thought Wrong

#9. Thankful

#10. Anytime

#11. A Moment Like This

#12. Before Your Love

And that is it. Overall, I thought the album was great. The combination of Pop and R&B can easily suit two different categories of listeners.

Overall, 5 stars. Good job with this, Kelly.

Kelly Clarkson is truly a radiant singer. After watching the American Idol series, watching her develop through each week's performance, there has been much growth of talent and maturity from Clarkson. This CD has become one of my favorites that I frequent wherever I am, either my car, at work, wherever. "Thankful" is something that I would recommend not to easily overlook.

1. The Trouble With Love Is: honestly, this song was not initially one of my favorites. It took a while for me to get used to listening to it, and to eventually to like it. This song, currently Clarkson's third single, top 10 MTV TRL, does showcase her vocals. Her strong clear vocals are clearly demonstrated within this song. Not only that, but having co written this song, shows some of her aesthetic talent. Will eventually get good.

2. Miss Independent: the first single that was released and was highly successful as it was the song that started the success of "Thankful". This song's lyrics are very catchy, as the chorus is very edgy and 'rockish'. Having Co-Written this song with Christina Aguilera, Kelly has made this song one of her trade marks. Very catchy bass and great bridge.

3. Low: another rock inspired song that showcases Kelly's vocal talents. This is Clarkson's second single release. It wasn't that successful with the musical audience, but I still very much like it. I enjoy the electric guitar in this piece that creates a pulsating tune. I think there is intelligence musical ornamentation within this piece, which can be small and less detailed, but if you pay attention you can hear it.

4. Some Kind Of Miracle: another song that took several times for me to like. Although this song was "boring" to me, it has a very catchy melody that just stuck with me until I eventually enjoyed it. The music is very soft and is given emphasis with the beating of the drum and the bass. Great vocals.

5. What's Up Lonely: This song, is catchy, but not as all others. Of all the other tracks, I would think this is my least favorite. The music-drum beat, bass line, etc. and the singing becomes very redundant and becomes boring after a while.

6. Just Missed The Train: I very much like this piece. This song has a very catchy chorus. The vocal painting does help create much more dramatic pose to this piece. This song does truly portray Clarkson's vocal abilities. The instrumentation is very nice and creates a nice feel to it, like the intro with the guitar. The song starts of soft, and then becomes much edgier.

7. Beautiful Disaster: this song is something I would classify as something that is more of a teen musically structured song. This song is good, but does not compare to many other songs on this track. The instrumentation though is great.

8. You Thought Wrong: this song feature Tamyra Gray, the fourth to last to be eliminated within the AI series. This song is rocky and devotes much vocal abilities. In this song, both showcase their talents, competing to reveal the strength of each voice. Both, Clarkson's and Gray's, vocals compliment each other as they become quite unified during the chorus, and as well as abstract during the verses and add libs. Catchy and great.

9. Thankful: is another track that isn't quite catchy on the first listen. It took a while before I caught onto this song, although I must admit that the melody is memorable. This song has nothing to do with being thankful for being the AI winner, but rather for that someone. This song is full of soul and showcases the strength in her voice. Okay, but I would prefer other songs over this.

10. Anytime: definitely one of the best songs on this track. It is a nice ballad that isn't too slow. The instrumentation, the vocal layering, helps create great dramatic pose within this song. Originally sung by Mary Griffin, Clarkson does a wonderful job by adding her vocal strength and emphasis to creating this piece of her own. Great song.

11. A Moment Like This: this song has started her career. Although have been released as a single, this piece is surely welcome within "Thankful". This supposedly is a New Mix. The mix is very subtle, even hard to recognize. The only difference is the extra layering of instruments that help to create a more emotional feeling, although very subtle. Great track, great singing.

12. Before Your Love: is Kelly's American Idol released single, the second one I would say. This is one of my favorite song from Kelly Clarkson. Again, this is another that was newly mixed. In this piece, the changes are very subtle once again. Besides the new layered instrumentation, there is also some different vocals added, like at the very end of the piece where "Your" is re-edited. The end, "Love" is poorly edited as you can hear such dramatic different volumes. I much recommend the single version over this one.

Almost reaching the 1000 word limit, all I have to say is Buy this 2x platinum CD. It is great and shows the versatility of a great performer. Expect more from Kelly Clarkson.