Walk Away (Kelly Clarkson song)

"Walk Away" is a song by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson for her second studio album, Breakaway (2004). The song was written and produced by Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida, and Kara DioGuardi, with additional writing from Clarkson. The song focuses on a relationship that is not working out; Clarkson wants a lover who will support her, not disappear when she needs him the most.

"Walk Away"
Single by Kelly Clarkson
from the album Breakaway
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2006 (2006-01-17)
GenrePop rock
Length3:08
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kara DioGuardi
  • Chantal Kreviazuk
  • Raine Maida
Kelly Clarkson singles chronology
"Because of You"
(2005)		 "Walk Away"
(2006)		 "Never Again"
(2007)
Music video
"Walk Away" on YouTube

It was released as the album's fourth single. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended Clarkson's attitude on the song. The song reached the top ten in Belgium and The Republic of Ireland and the top forty in Australia, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In March 2006, the single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales over 500,000 in all formats in the United States. As of February 2010, "Walk Away" has sold over 1.1 million digital copies in the U.S.[1]

Background

Clarkson called "Walk Away" "one of the brighter songs" on Breakaway, and said that "It's just one of those anthem songs where everybody is [bouncing their heads] in the car."[2] She said of its subject matter, "the whole song is just about if it's not working out, then just leave, don't stay and make it worse."[2] After spawning four major top 10 singles ("Breakaway," "Since U Been Gone," "Behind These Hazel Eyes," and "Because of You") and spending sixty weeks in the top 20 of the Billboard albums chart, Clarkson released "Walk Away" as the fifth single.

Composition

"Walk Away" was written by Clarkson, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida and Kara DioGuardi and produced by Maida, DioGuardi and Kreviazuk.[3] It is one of five collaborations with DioGuardi from the album and the first and only to be released as a single. DioGuardi had become one of the most sought songwriter/producers after playing key roles on hits from Ashlee Simpson's "Pieces of Me" to Lindsay Lohan's "Confessions of a Broken Heart." For additional insurance Canadian couple Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida, frequent Avril Lavigne collaborators, assisted on "Walk Away."

Tense guitars open the song, setting a cross tone.[4] In "Walk Away," Clarkson's relationship with her boyfriend seemed to be sunk at the start. With his family conspiring against them and aiding in his deceptions, there was no way it was going to work. Clarkson's hurt not only stems from his indifference to her, but his family's animosity towards her.[4] "You've got your mother and your brother/ Every other undercover/ Tellin' you what to say/", she sings.[4] In the chorus, he asks her whether or not they should continue dating: "I'm looking for attention/ Not another question/ Should you stay or should you go?/ Well, if you don't have the answer/ Why you still standin' here?/ Hey, hey, hey, hey/Just walk away."[4] In the second verse, she says that he stood up her plenty of evenings. However, each time she believed he would be there. After the chorus is the heated bridge. Clarkson says she wants a relationship where the guy loves her as passionately as she does him. She wants a lover who will support her, not disappear when she needs him the most. She asks if he thinks the relationship is worth fighting for.[4] "I wanna love/ I want a fire/ To feel the burn/ My desires/ I wanna man by my side/ Not a boy who runs and hides/ Are you gonna fight for me?/ Die for me?/ Live and breathe for me?/ Do you care for me?/ 'Cause if you don't then just leave," she sings.[4]

Reception

Critical response

Pam Avoledo of Blogcritics wrote that "[...] Clarkson vocals fiery and smoldering. She's come a long way from American Idol where she had the sing songs technically perfect with the emotion optional. However, in the single, she unleashes whatever anger she felt from a past breakup and puts it in the song."[4]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic described the song as a "driving, anthemic pop tune" and picked it as one of the album's best tracks.[3] Robert Christgau named it a "prefab kissoff".[5] Charles Merwin from Stylus Magazine wrote that "Luckily, songs like 'Breakaway' and 'Walk Away' are good enough to make you forget about some disappointments on the album."[6] On March 5, 2013, Billboard ranked the song at number 20 in its list of Top 100 American Idol Hits of All Time.[7]

Chart performance
Clarkson performed "Walk Away" in all of her concert tours, as it is one of her most popular songs.

"Walk Away" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at number 97[8] on the chart dated January 21, 2006. "Walk Away" became Breakaway's first release to fail to achieve top 10 status on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 12.[9] In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number 21.[10] In Australia, on the ARIA Single Chart, the song debuted at number 29 and, during its fourth week on the chart, peaked at number 27.[11] As of September 2017, the song has sold over 1,306,000 copies in the United States.[12]

Music video

The music video for "Walk Away" was developed from a treatment Clarkson had written and was directed by Joseph Kahn.[2] The video premiered on British music channels on March 6, 2006, and on TRL and MuchOnDemand on March 7. Of the fifty days it was eligible for the TRL top 10 video countdown, it was at number one 19 times, including on its last day, June 1.[13] The video was voted 30th in VH1's "Top 40 Videos of the Year" for 2006.[14] Kelly wrote the treatment for the video, even writing in a scene for her brother and one of her friends. She shot the video in Los Angeles.[2] Clarkson said of the music video:

"The last two were a bit darker, so I decided to write a happier treatment. I usually tell the story, like with 'Hazel Eyes' and the same with 'Because of You,' but this one we wanted to make a bit more fun. I don't want to give it away, but it's a very funny video."[2]

It opens with alarm clock waking up at several times and video is shown Clarkson singing "Walk Away" live. Other people are shown are a man showering, a woman at an office, twin brothers in the sports hall changing rooms, a football player, a man cleaning his house with a vacuum cleaner, a hairstylist, a waitress at a café, a man on the road in the traffic, men in the restroom (one of the men was played by Clarkson's brother, Jason Clarkson) and an officer standing by a car all singing along. During the bridge section, a man gets out the car and dances by the traffic and singing along. Another man sings along in a car, and he eventually gets out of the car to dance, holding up traffic. The video is intercut with shots of Clarkson performing the song with her band.[2]

Live performances

Clarkson has performed the song in every one of her concert tours since The Breakaway Tour (2005–06). On the Stronger Tour (2012), Clarkson performed the song as part of a medley, with "The Trouble With Love Is", "How I Feel" and "I Want You". When Clarkson performed the song during the 12th Annual Honda Civic Tour, where she was a special guest for Maroon 5, she and her music director changed the arrangement to make it sound more jazzy. For her Piece by Piece Tour (2015) Clarkson mashed the song up with "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.

Clarkson has also performed the song on Live with Regis and Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and at half time during the 2007 Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Football game. In April 2011, Clarkson appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, and performed the song in a medley of hits along with "Miss Independent" and "Since U Been Gone".[15]

Track listings

Digital single

  1. "Walk Away" – 3:08
  2. "Walk Away" (Chris Cox radio remix) – 3:38

Digital EP

  1. "Walk Away" – 3:08
  2. "Since U Been Gone" (Live@Rollingstone.com) – 3:13
  3. "Walk Away" (Chris Cox radio remix) – 3:38
  4. "Walk Away" (Ralphi Rosario Radio Mix) – 3:56

Remixes EP

  1. "Walk Away" (Craig J radio mix) – 3:30
  2. "Walk Away" (Chris Cox full on club mix) – 10:11
  3. "Walk Away" (Ralphi Rosario's I Want a Man dub) – 10:14
  4. "Walk Away" (Craig J Big Love mixshow) – 5:23
  5. "Walk Away" – 3:08

Dance vault mixes

  1. "Walk Away" (Craig J radio mix) – 3:30
  2. "Walk Away" (Ralph Rosario main club) – 9:56
  3. "Walk Away" (Ralph Rosario Walk Away Beats) – 9:43
  4. "Walk Away" (Craig J's Big Love a cappella) – 5:23

Dance vault mixes 4

  1. "Walk Away" (Craig J's Big Love club) – 6:33
  2. "Walk Away" (Craig J's Padapella) – 3:46
  3. "Walk Away" (Chris Cox TwEaKed dub) – 6:38
  4. "Walk Away" (Ralph Rosario a cappella) – 3:27

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[33] Gold 10,000*
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 1,306,000[12]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
United States January 17, 2006 Contemporary hit radio RCA [35]
United Kingdom March 13, 2006 CD single
[36]
Australia March 18, 2006 Maxi single [37]
Germany November 24, 2006 CD single [38]
Maxi single [39]

References
  1. Moss, Corey. "Bonus SoundScan numbers for Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, more!". USA TODAY. February 14, 2006.
  2. Moss, Corey. "Kelly Clarkson Eyeing Black Eyed Peas For New Album". MTV News. February 14, 2006.
  3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (November 30, 2004). "Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson | Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  4. Avoledo, Pam (January 1, 2006). "Single Review: Kelly Clarkson "Walk Away"". Blogcritics. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  5. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: clarkson". MSN Music. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  6. Merwin, Charles (February 17, 2005). "Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway - Review - Stylus Magazine". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  7. "Top 100 'American Idol' Hits of All Time". Billboard.
  8. Clover Hope, "Nelly Nabs Fourth Hot 100 No. 1", Billboard.com, January 12, 2006.
  9. "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  11. "Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  12. Trust, Gary (September 10, 2017). "Ask Billboard: Kelly Clarkson's Career Sales & 'Wild Thoughts' About Rihanna". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  13. TRL Archive, June 2006Archived March 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Popfusion.net.
  14. The Top 40 Videos of the Year VH1.com Retrieved on 04-30-07
  15. Perpetua, Matthew (April 12, 2011). "Kelly Clarkson Plays a Rocking Hits Medley on 'Ellen'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  16. "Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  17. "Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  18. "Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away" (in French). Ultratip.
  19. "Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Walk Away". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  21. "Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  22. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  23. "Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  24. "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  25. "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  26. "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  27. "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  28. "Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  29. 가온차트와 함께하세요 [South Korea "Gaon" International Singles - 24 November 2012]. Gaon Single Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. To access, select "2012" as chart year and select the chart period "11/25/2012 - 12/01/2012"
  30. "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  31. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  32. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  33. "Canadian single certifications – Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away". Music Canada.
  34. "American single certifications – Kelly Clarkson – Walk Away". Recording Industry Association of America.
  36. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 11, 2006. p. 29.
  37. "SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT :: Australia :: CD Releases". Archived from the original on October 20, 2007.
  38. "Bot Check". Amazon Germany.
  39. "Walk Away". Amazon Germany.
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