Kelly Clarkson on Life Before Her Fiancé: ‘I Was Dating Skinny Jeans’

Clarkson on the cover of People. There are a lot of analogies for love out there, but Kelly Clarkson prefers to explain her relationship revelation through denim.

"I was dating skinny jeans and I needed Wranglers," the songstress tells People magazine of why she had never found herself in love before falling head over heels for her now-fiancé, music manager Brandon Blackstock.
Clarkson, 30, also recounts in this week's cover interview the day she realized what a great catch she’d landed with Blackstock, whom she’s been dating about a year.
"Out of nowhere I just said, 'Thanks for being an awesome guy,'” she shares. “I've never been loved properly by a man, and I was just like, 'I thank you so much for that.'"
Turns out he had realized the same thing about her … and had decided to propose. The “Miss Independent” singer, however, had absolutely no idea.
"Not a damn clue!" she tells the mag of when Blackstock popped the question in December. "If I did I would have worn something besides Uggs and a sweatshirt with no bra."

Clarkson and fiance Brandon Blackstock (Win NcNamee/Getty Images)

The Texas native has come a long way since winning the first-ever season of “American Idol” more than a decade ago, and things certainly seem to be going better than ever for Clarkson. She’s working on two new albums, just performed at the inauguration, is up for a whopping four Grammys this weekend, recently dropped 30 pounds, and is in the middle of planning a fall wedding at her Texas home to her dream guy.
"I didn't know life could be this happy," she gushes.
If only she got rid of those skinny jeans years ago!

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Beyonce electrifies at Super Bowl halftime show

If naysayers still doubted Beyonce's singing talents — even after her national anthem performance last week at a press conference — the singer proved she is an exceptional performer at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Beyonce opened and closed her set Sunday belting out songs, and in between, she danced hard and heavy — and better than most contemporary pop stars.

She set a serious tone as she emerged onstage in all black, singing lines from her R&B hit "Love on Top." The stage was dark as fire and lights burst from the sides. Then she went into her hit "Crazy in Love," bringing some feminine spirit to the Superdome in New Orleans as she and her background dancers did the singer's signature booty-shaking dance. Beyonce ripped off part of her shirt and skirt. She even blew a kiss. She was ready to rock, and she did so like a pro.

Her confidence — and voice — grew as she worked the stage with and without her Destiny's Child band mates during her 13-minute set, which came days after she admitted she sang to a prerecorded track at President Barack Obama's inauguration less than two weeks ago.

Beyonce proved not only that she can sing, but that she can also entertain on a stage as big as the Super Bowl's. The 31-year-old was far better than Madonna, who sang to a backing track last year, and miles ahead of the Black Eyed Peas' disastrous set in 2011.

Beyonce was best when she finished her set with "Halo." She asked the crowd to put their hands toward her as she sang the slow groove on bended knee — and that's when she the performance hit its high note.

"Thank you for this moment," she told the crowd. "God bless y'all."

Her background singers helped out as Beyonce danced around the stage throughout most of her performance. There was a backing track to help fill in when Beyonce wasn't singing, and there were long stretches when she let it play as she performed elaborate dance moves.

She had a swarm of background dancers and band members spread throughout the stage, along with videotaped images of the singer dancing that may have unintentionally played on the live-or-taped question. And the crowd got bigger when she was joined by her Destiny's Child band mates.

Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams popped up from below the stage to sing "Bootylicious." They were in similar outfits, singing and dancing closely as they harmonized. But Rowland and Williams were barely heard when the group sang "Independent Woman," as their voices faded into the background.

They also joined in for some of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," where Beyonce's voice grew stronger. That song featured Beyonce's skilled choreography, as did "End of Time" and "Baby Boy," which also showcased Beyonce's all-female band, balancing out the testosterone levels on the football field.

Before the game, Alicia Keys performed a lounge-y, piano-tinged version of the national anthem that her publicist assured was live. The Grammy-winning singer played the piano as she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in a long red dress with her eyes shut.

She followed Jennifer Hudson, who sang "America the Beautiful" with the 26-member Sandy Hook Elementary School chorus. It was an emotional performance that had some players on the sideline on the verge of tears. Hudson also sang live, her publicist said.

The students wore green ribbons on their shirts in honor of the 20 first-graders and six adults who were killed in a Dec. 14 shooting rampage at the school in Newtown, Conn.

The students began the song softly before Hudson, whose mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were shot to death five years ago, jumped in with her gospel-flavored vocals. She stood still in black and white as the students moved to the left and right, singing background.

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Russell Brand Talks Katy Perry and John Mayer Romance

 

Russell Brand went on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show Monday, so naturally the host got the Brit to talk about what his listeners would be most interested in -- Katy Perry, John Mayer, and even those Demi Moore romance rumors.

“What do you make of your ex-wife dating John Mayer? It’s like, doesn’t she know that he's a worse womanizer than you?” Stern asked Perry’s ex-husband.

"Worse or better, depending on how you view it," quipped Brand.

"He's a better womanizer, then," Stern proclaimed.

"Hold on, I resent that! I'm world class!" the “Brand X” host exclaimed before getting serious about his views on Perry moving on with Mayer. "You have to let go of the instinct to protect someone once you divorce them."

Stern then proclaimed, “I knew you’d never stay married.”

 

Katy Perry and John Mayer going strong (Splash News)So, is Brand dating anyone now?

“Nobody actually, I would like a romance,” he told the host admitting he’s not even playing the field, right now…not even with Moore, despite the rumors out there.

“I really like her, she's a beautiful person,” Brand said of Moore.

“But you’ve not made love to her yet?” asked Stern.

“I've not made love to her yet, Howard, but it's a matter of time,” the comedian responded. “That's the sort of thing that'll get in the newspaper!”

However, that sound bite wasn’t enough to please Stern! He continued to try and get Brand to spill some rather intimate details about the “Firework” singer.

"So, help me, Howard Stern, I will not compromise my ex-wife's vagina for the sake of ratings!” Brand said, standing his ground. “That woman was perfect from top to bottom!”

Hmm, wonder if John Mayer would have shown as much restraint?

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• Beyonce Talks to ‘omg! Insider’ About Her Super Bowl Performance

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