Kelly Clarkson isn't worried about being a "perfect" singer.

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

The 'Because of You' hitmaker grew up singing classical music where she always had to be spot on but now realises it is more important to put emotion in her songs.

She said: "I have changed drastically from when I started. I grew up singing classical music, and everything had to be perfect. All of those competitions: you had to nail it, every time. That came down to tone and pitch and lyrics. So when I first started, I was really hard on myself.

"But one time at a show in Australia, I came backstage and I was so bummed [about my performance] and my manager said, 'This is ridiculous, you did a really good job! You need to let go of the idea that you have to nail every note every time. You don't have to have perfect pitch every time to be amazing!' That was the point where I started letting go of that.

"I'm not perfect every time you see me, but I'm definitely having fun. I'd rather be an emotional singer than a perfect one. But learning that was a good ol' big bridge that I had to cross. I feel like if you harp on it too much, you lose the soul and you start to sound like a robot. Which certain producers love! But I don't!"

And the 34-year-old singer also opened up about her track 'Piece By Piece', which she penned about the importance of her children having their father in their life.

She told Radio.com: "I wrote that song after an intense conversation with my sister. We didn't have a very high bar - or any bar - set for what a father figure should be like. Or what a man should be like. I think a lot of girls date someone like their father. I didn't want to do that! I don't know him very well, but I know that he's awesome at abandonment. I wrote the song about how that sucked.

"I don't think I realised how devastating that was until I was pregnant with my own child. I think, as a society, we make it the norm, 'Oh, you grew up with your mother, you didn't know your father.' I think we've made that way too normal. I think people need parental figures in their life. And I can't imagine not being there for my kids."


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