7KELLY CLARKSON
Meaning of Life A preview of the American Idol winner’s new album. (Out Fri., Oct. 27)
“LOVE SO SOFT” Produced by longtime collaborator Jesse Shatkin, the LP’S first single shows off the full colour and richness of Clarkson’s voice.
“WHOLE LOTTA WOMAN” “Texas women do it bigger,” Clarkson howls on this brassy number, which uses Southern food as its central metaphor and features horn and bass contributions from Earth, Wind & Fire.
“MEDICINE” Clarkson calls her vocal runs on this funky ’90s-influenced track “so Mariah”—and her high notes will have you feeling plenty of “Emotions”.
“I DON’T THINK ABOUT YOU” When Clarkson asked songwriter Jessica Karpov for a Whitney Houston–esque ballad to showcase her range, Karpov penned this crown jewel break-up anthem, whose lyrics were inspired by Clarkson’s split with record label RCA.
“SLOW DANCE” If there’s a baby boom in July 2018, you’ll know why: Clarkson has dubbed the guitar solo on this smouldering jam “the sexiest thing on the album.”
“GO HIGH” Co-written by Clarkson, this contemporarysounding cut gets its name from Michelle Obama’s “When they go low, we go high” speech and features a booming breakdown with chopped-up vocals.
BRIGSBY BEAR Growing up with doting, intellectual parents in an underground bunker, James (Kyle Mooney) connects to the outside world through computer chats about Brigsby Bear, the longrunning—and seemingly only—tv series around. But when a detective (Greg Kinnear) arrives to return him to his “real” family, James reels from the shock of re-entering society. As man-child James, Mooney centres this funny-sad drama about the healing power of storytelling and pop culture. (Out now) THE MIDWIFE Catherine Deneuve’s Béatrice returns after a 30-year absence to unsettle Claire (Catherine Frot) in this French delicacy. As beautiful and adventurous as Béatrice is, Claire is dowdy and staid, a caring midwife raising her single son. (Out now) INGRID GOES WEST Aubrey Plaza (right) is a knockout in this zeitgeist film as a fragile woman obsessed with a supercool instagrammer (played with hair-flicking loveliness by Elizabeth Olsen, left). (Out now)