Kelly Clarkson ft. John Legend: ‘Run Run Run’ Single Review

Kelly Clarkson doubtlessly has the most powerful instrument in the music industry. That instrument is the tool she used to win the first season of American Idol in 2002 and the reason she is known as “The Original American Idol.” Ladies and gentlemen, this instrument is her phenomenally powerful voice, which, without exaggeration, remains the most unequalled female voice in the music business. For her single, “Run Run Run,” she teams up with John Legend, another singer with prodigious talent to give us the ballad of the century. “Run Run Run” is a cover of German pop band Tokio Hotel, and it is exquisite.

Before I can even begin to tell you about the magnificence of this song, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend on the same song already says as much as you need to know about the song. Your anticipation is free to run wild for this song because I can guarantee you, there won’t be a shred of disappointment. How do you have such exceptionally special artists on the same song and not expect to be listening to the world’s luckiest song? This song is amazing in all aspects of making a good song. The lyrics, the vocals, the instruments, and the song simply creates a masterpiece ballad. Your mind may not comprehend the amazingness of this song up until you actually sit down and listen to it.

When you press play, Kelly Clarkson’s elegant voice treats your ears to a highly pleasant sound as she sings, “I wonder how your body tastes / inside of someone else’s place. / Pull away your eyes / there’s nothing left to hear / I’m alone, but I know everything you fear.” These extremely poetic lyrics are gracefully sung to a soft piano. Kelly Clarkson’s powerful voice is trancing right from the start. She has the ability to capture your attention right away, and the smoothness compels you to keep listening. Kelly Clarkson is endowed with such enormous talent. If you decide to cut it into slices and distribute it to people, there would be enough of her talent for everyone. On “Run Run Run,” she delivers her highly impressionable performance as always and it is glorious. 

John Legend comes in for the second verse and presents a “John Legend” verse. By a “John Legend” verse, I mean his vocals are graceful as always, and the performance is exceptional. This song is entirely a soulful beauty in composition and execution. Halfway in his verse, Kelly Clarkson joins him, and they sing the rest of the verse together in complete harmony. “Telling all your friends that this love is just made for bleeding / and upon new road I have started keep on, try to breath in.” This is definitely the climax of the song. The way their two voices comfortably merge and complement each other in pure articulation for a perfect sound is extremely mind-blowing. Even if the song had ended at this point, it would still be the ballad of the century. 

They continue with perfect auditory sensation as they get into the chorus, “And you waited on the rain / their tears my hearted is caged / and we fall through faith / but we raise and raise again / and I run, run, run, run, run, run / And I run, run, run, run, run, run / I run, run, run, run, run, run / I just run, run, run.” This is one of those songs that feed your soul and give you goosebumps while you listen to it. It is so splendid, it is almost impossible to sight anything that is not accurate with the song. The sound that their merged vocals create is heavenly beautiful, and every minute of listening to the song will be a wondrous experience for you.

After the chorus, the song takes an alteration as drums and electric guitars are introduced to accompany the piano which seems to fade out. The new instruments continue to play, and the two artists sing to them after they have been playing alone for a while. This is still extremely pleasurable, and the transformation from a ballad to a “rock-like” sound is a pleasant surprise.

“Run Run Run” is the duet of the year. The artists are great; Kelly Clarkson and John Legend are the epitome of vocal endowment. Put them together on a song and you have the most artistically crafted song of the modern age. The silver-tongued artists are at their best on this song. The lyrics bring poetry back to ballads. If you recited these lyrics word for word as a poem, it would be memorable. “Run Run Run” is a single off her album, Piece by Piece, which was released last March. I always feel good about albums judging from the singles the artists pre-release prior to the album, but when you listen to this song, you will agree with me that Piece by Piece would turn into a splendid album.