Fans of Kelly Clarkson know full well that she did not hold back when it came to writing scathing songs for her latest album – her first since 2017's Meaning of Life and widely regarded as her "divorce album" – titled Chemistry.
However, song after song, and with each revealing lyric, one naturally can't help but wonder what the person many of the songs are directed at, her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, really thinks about it.
The daytime talk show host and her ex-husband were married from 2013 to 2022, and share two kids together, River Rose, nine, and Remington "Remy" Alexander, seven. They first filed for divorce in 2020 and it was finalized in 2022 after several legal disputes.
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Promoting her new album on the Today Show, Kelly opened up to longtime host Hoda Kotb about how she approached writing about her feelings while still respecting her ex.
During the chat, though Kelly and Brandon had quite the tumultuous divorce, Kelly alluded to a repaired relationship between the two.
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The star revealed that ahead of her album's release, she and her ex actually had a text exchange about it, and that she gave him a heads up about what she would be singing throughout the nine songs in the album.
The songs detail both the highs and lows of their relationship, the "insanely amazing" and "insanely unhealthy" chemistry one can have with someone, she explained, and Kelly even broached the legal disputes the former couple had over their assets and spousal support.
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While on the Today Show, as Hoda was breaking down all that's in the upcoming record, she said: "When a lot of relationships end there are lots of things that are fought over, and a lot of times it's money."
The statement couldn't have resonated more with Kelly, who laughed and exclaimed, "Heyyyy…" in agreement.
They then referred to the song 'Red Flag Collector,' where the former American Idol contestant seems to put her ex-husband's mid-divorce behavior on blast, when she sings: "Sure, you can have the towels. You can take my money. Drag my name 'round town. I don't mind, I changed it anyway."
The lyrics continue: "As you run your mouth, puff your chest. Play cowboy in the wild, wild west. I don't mind, you know best. Keep on ridin' 'til you can't say us," which seems to be a direct reference to the former couple's dispute over Kelly's Montana ranch.
Their argument over the property, which Kelly is listed as sole owner of, began when Brandon revealed he wanted to leave the entertainment industry and become a full-time rancher. When his ex-wife announced she planned to sell the ranch, the father-of-four fought against it, insisting that he needed the sprawling property for his ranching business.
In August of 2021, a judge ruled that if he planned to work on the property and gain profit from it, he would be responsible for the costs of maintaining it, reportedly about $81,000 per month. Brandon subsequently moved out in June of 2022, but he will still be receiving other payouts from Kelly until 2024.