In a resurfaced video from her current Las Vegas residency, Kelly Clarkson can be seen getting emotional as she introduces her song “Piece by Piece,” which was inspired by her relationship with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. In the clip, taken days before Blackstock passed away, Clarkson shares that she had once again changed the lyrics to the song.
Kelly Clarkson Once Again Changes ‘Piece by Piece’ Lyrics
According to People, the video in question was taken at Kelly Clarkson’s July 26 show, as the singer performs a new residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Clarkson said that she’s “never rewritten a song more” than “Piece by Piece.”
The track was released in 2015, two years after she tied the knot with Blackstock. The original lyrics were addressed to Clarkson’s estranged father, telling him how Blackstock had “restored by faith that a man can be kind and a father could stay.”
Following her split from Blackstock, Clarkson briefly changed the song’s lyrics to reflect her state of mind at the time. In this new video, she admitted that those new lyrics were “a little angry.” So she changed them again, promising fans that this would be the last time.
As she continued speaking to the crowd, Clarkson admitted that she was “really trying to pull it together.” She had to step away from the microphone to wipe away her tears and collect herself. She eventually said, “Screw it, let’s just sing it. This is ‘Piece by Piece.'”
SEE ALSO: KELLY CLARKSON IS ‘DEVASTATED’ FOR HER KIDS AFTER BRANDON BLACKSTOCK’S DEATH
What Are the New Lyrics?
In the original version of the song, Kelly Clarkson sang, “He never walks away. He never asks for money. He takes care of me. He loves me.” In 2023, after her divorce, she changed the lyrics to, “I just walk away, when they ask for money. I take care of me ‘cause I love me. Piece by piece I restored my faith that a heart can still beat even when it breaks.”
In the newest version of the song, which Clarkson called “more grown-up,” she sings, “I’m learning every day how to love me. I let go of the shame that you taught me. Piece by piece I restored my faith that a heart can still beat even if it breaks.”
Less than two weeks after the above video was taken, Blackstock passed away following a three-year battle with cancer. The day before his death, Clarkson postponed her remaining August shows, revealing that Blackstock had been ill and saying she needed to be with her children.
Clarkson and Blackstock shared two kids together — 11-year-old daughter River and 9-year-old son Remington. Blackstock is also survived by two other kids from a previous relationship — daughter Savannah and son Seth.
