Kelly Clarkson Tells Garth Brooks How ‘The Dance’ Is Her Therapy Right Now
Kelly Clarkson and Garth Brooks sat down next to each other for an extended conversation on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and the host became particularly animated when the country singer started to sing "The Dance." The song is important to her right now, as she's going through a divorce.
In a clip shared on The Kelly Clarkson Show YouTube page, Clarkson opens up about how she was really struggling with how to define the feelings that come with the end of a marriage.
"I didn’t want to crap on it," she says. "You don't want to say that didn't count or matter, but you don't know what to put in it because it didn't work out how you want it."
While listening to a playlist of songs, "The Dance" — a signature song from Brooks' catalog — came on, and Clarkson knew she'd found her feeling.
"I literally wrote this whole thing therapeutically for me," she says, "and it's actually on my next album ... like the little tag part is (singing) 'Even though my heart is broken / It was worth the dance anyways.'"
Clarkson and her husband of seven years, Brandon Blackstock, announced they were getting a divorce in June. Since then, legal documents outlining various parental and professional disagreements have become public, leading many to believe the separation is becoming particularly acrimonious.
In a separate clip, Brooks tells the story of hearing "The Dance" for the very first time, but hesitating to record it because he didn't think it was country enough due to the piano part. He strums a few notes and starts singing as Clarkson begins to crack.
"The Dance" is on Brooks' self-titled debut album from 1990.
This Is Where Kelly Clarkson Used to Live: