Kelly Clarkson Covers Red Clay Strays Song on Talk Show After Return From Break

The Kelly Clarkson Show recently welcomed Kelly Clarkson back to the show, where she performed an amazing version of "No One Else Like Me" in a Kellyoke style. She performed with so much energy, passion, and technical execution that her performance proved that she is still among the best singers in any genre of music today. Her rendition, elevated by Brandon Coleman of The Red Clay Strays from the original, showcased deep emotional delivery and reinforced her standing as a top vocalist across country, rock, pop, blues, and gospel.

Fans have widely praised the performance on social media, with one viewer writing, “This feels like an absolute master class in blending genres,” one viewer raved on Instagram. “Like, somehow this is rock, country, pop, blues, gospel…PURE MAGIC!”

Clarkson's delivery of the gritty, soulful track originally led by Coleman highlighted her ability to inhabit a song's energy and connect deeply with listeners. With the loss of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, at the age of 48 in 2025, who passed away from melanoma, it has been an emotionally difficult and stressful task for Kelly Clarkson to deal with all of the stress and pressures of being a successful artist while still navigating the grief and loss of her ex-husband in a very public way.

The artist remains an important and influential figure in country music, as seen in this live performance, which builds on her long history of collaborating with other artists and of performing country songs throughout her career. This performance has been noted for its successful blending of retro and modern styles in both soul and gospel, making it one of the standout Kellyokes in Kelly's catalog.

Clarkson and The Red Clay Strays later shared a standout CMA Awards moment with "People Hatin'" by year's end, a performance that broadened their mainstream breakout and contributed to dethroning Old Dominion as Vocal Group of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

From being an underground favorite, the rise of Red Clay Strays is proof that underground music is becoming a part of the mainstream country and Americana music community, as they received awards for Emerging Act of 2024 from the Americana Awards and New Duo/Group for 2025 from the ACM Awards. Their first album, Moment of Truth, has gone gold. They are led by Coleman and gained popularity rapidly with the release of Made by These Moments in 2024; they are becoming the go-to source for southern rock-country blues-soul fusion.