"Long Shot"
Song by Kelly Clarkson
from the album All I Ever Wanted
Recorded2008
StudioValley Village, California
(Bay7 Studios)
Calabasas, California
(Sparky Dark Studio)
Hollywood, California
(Sunset Sound Studios)
GenrePop
Length3:36
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)Katy Perry, Glen Ballard, Matt Thiessen
Producer(s)Howard Benson

"Long Shot" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted (2009). The song was written by Katy Perry, Glen Ballard, and Matt Thiessen, it was originally recorded by Perry (along with the single "I Do Not Hook Up") for an unreleased album and was later re-recorded by Clarkson. It is a pop song about taking a chance on pursuing a flawed relationship in spite of it being a "long shot."

The song received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who found it to be a "fun" pop song but also generic and unmemorable.[1] In early 2010, the song was played on Canadian radio and entered that country's hot adult contemporary airplay chart despite no official single release or promotion from Clarkson's label.[2]

Background and recording

The song was written by Katy Perry, Glen Ballard, and Matt Thiessen as a track for an unreleased album by Perry conceived sometime between the recording of Katy Hudson (2001) and One of the Boys (2008).[3] When Perry was dropped from the Def Jam label and the project was scrapped, "Long Shot" and "I Do Not Hook Up" were given to RCA Records for Clarkson to record for her then-upcoming album, All I Ever Wanted.[3][4] Clarkson's rendition was recorded by Mike Plotnikoff in 2008 at Bay7 Studios, Sparky Dark Studio, and Sunset Sound Studios, all located in Los Angeles County, California.[5]

Composition

Clarkson's music has been contrasted to that of the song's writer Katy Perry (pictured).[6]

"Long Shot" is a pop song[7] with a duration of three minutes and thirty-six seconds (3:36). According to the digital sheet music published by MusicNotes.com through Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., it is composed in the key of D minor and is set to a moderately fast tempo of 114 BPM.[8] Clarkson's vocal range spans from C4—C5.[8] The song's instrumentation consists of keyboard, drums, guitar, and bass, which were performed by Howard Benson, Josh Freese, Paul Bushnell, and Phil X, respectively.[5]

The song's lyrics explore the inherent risk of starting or continuing a romantic relationship.[9] Some critics have suggested the song implies a flawed relationship, which Clarkson is fighting to keep together.[10][11] Elements in the lyrics such as the lines "The chance is we won't make it / But I know if I don't take it there's no chance" deliver a message of perseverance and taking risks to reach your goals.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised the cover for "illustrating why [Clarkson]'s a better pop star" than co-writer Katy Perry, writing that the former sounds "impassioned and invested" in her performance, but "better still... relatable."[6] Ann Powers of The Los Angeles Times also noted that Clarkson "removes the cartoon mannerisms" characteristic of Perry's songs in her version of "Long Shot".[12] On the other hand, Claire Lobenfeld of Vibe was critical of Clarkson for what he deemed to be her mimicking Perry's "silly and saucy" style.[13] Daniel Brockman of The Boston Phoenix and Evan Sawdey of PopMatters both cited "Long Shot" as a highlight of the album, with the latter describing the song as a "sturdy, memorable pop number" that succeeds at playing it safe in a "fun" way.[14][7]

Commercial performance

In February 2010, two Hot AC stations in Canada began playing "Long Shot" as a potential radio single, leading it to enter the New and Active category for the week ending March 6, 2010 with 82 plays.[15] The album's fourth official single, "All I Ever Wanted", impacted Hot AC radio on March 6, 2010.[16] "Long Shot" reached a peak airplay position of 33, in May 2010, before "All I Ever Wanted" entered the chart.[2]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the All I Ever Wanted liner notes.[5]

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[2] 33

References

  1. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted (album review 2)". Sputnikmusic. Spin Media. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Montgomery, James (16 April 2009). "Katy Perry Explains Her Link To Kelly Clarkson's New Album". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  4. ↑ Lamb, Bill. "Kelly Clarkson - "I Do Not Hook Up" Review of Kelly Clarkson single "I Do Not Hook Up" from the album All I Ever Wanted". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 All I Ever Wanted (booklet). Kelly Clarkson. RCA Records/19 Recordings/S Records. 2009. 88697-32715-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (March 10, 2009). "All I Ever Wanted - Kelly Clarkson". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  7. 1 2 Sawdey, Evan (March 12, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson: All I Ever Wanted". PopMatters. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Kelly Clarkson "Long Shot" Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Kelly Clarkson | All I Ever Wanted | Album Review". Plugged In. Focus on the Family. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Review of Kelly Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted"". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC. 10 March 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  11. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (March 8, 2009). "New CDs From Kelly Clarkson, Chris Cornell and Madeleine Peyroux". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  12. ↑ Powers, Ann (February 27, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson's 'All I Ever Wanted': 3.5 stars [UPDATE]". The Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  13. ↑ Lobenfeld, Claire (March 10, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson: All I Ever Wanted". Vibe. SpinMedia. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  14. ↑ Brockman, Daniel (March 23, 2009). "Kelly Clarkson | All I Ever Wanted - CD Reviews". The Boston Phoenix. Phoenix Media/Communications Group. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Canada Hot AC National Airplay". BDSRadio. Nielsen N.V. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Hot AC" (Week Of: March 6, 2010). Radio & Records. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
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