# Do you get Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood mixed up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835 "2018-03-01T16:53:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/21 "2018-03-02T10:42:28Z")
They are very different singers, both excellent. Carrie rides the strength of her voice and the melody of the song. Kellie Clarkson is a technical-as-shit singer who plays with the notes for fun without oversinging, and has Adele power. Yeah, they look different, but the voices are more than enough to tell them apart. One’s a balladeer and the other is a _coloratura_ diva-quality singer. Just listen a bit. When I was a kid, I kinda didn’t realize there were two, even three singers in the Beatles (Ringo didn’t count; I could hear Ringo). Then I realized there was John and Paul but I couldn’t really tell them apart. They were JohnPaul as far as I was concerned. Then I really started listening and it became obvious. So it goes. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/22 "2018-03-02T12:03:46Z")
Nope. They don’t look anything alike. They don’t have the same singing style nor the same type of voice. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/23 "2018-03-02T12:52:28Z")
Nah. I watched the first season of American Idol and for while, maybe from 2002-2007 Clarkson was everywhere. Then she had her artistic struggle with Clive Davis or whatever and seemed to be semi-banished, gained some weight, took some family time, and came back a little different. I saw her on some show the other night randomly. She kinda looks like my wife now. Carrie, I know exactly how she looks and I’ve seen her pictures everywhere for award ceremonies and such, but I’ve only encountered 1 of her songs in life. I couldn’t hear “Jesus Takes the Wheel” and think, yeah that sounds like that chick that did “Since U Been Gone.” I’ve never heard a Kellie Pickler song, though I am very familiar with what she looks like. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/24 "2018-03-02T13:54:40Z")
Well, I’m pretty sure I knew both were singers from AI. Beyond that, I got nuttin’. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/25 "2018-03-02T14:09:42Z")
Nope. I just make them sleep on opposite sides of the bed. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/26 "2018-03-02T14:28:04Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > All bleached blondes looked the same to me. These women, Barbie, and David Lee Roth could all be the same person as far as I’m concerned. You only sort humans by hair color? ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/27 "2018-03-02T14:57:46Z")
I always thought that Carrie Underwood was a lot better looking than Kelly Clarkson. (Not that there’s anything wrong with Miss Clarkson, for sure.) Don’t really know their music, though… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/28 "2018-03-02T15:01:34Z")
OK, I’ll be honest. I listen to Top 40 radio almost every day, but I have no idea who is who when it comes to artists. Kelly Clarkson, Katie Perry, Carrie Underwood – I get them all mixed up in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/29 "2018-03-02T16:42:12Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > I always thought that Carrie Underwood was a lot better looking than Kelly Clarkson. (Not that there’s anything wrong with Miss Clarkson, for sure.) Don’t really know their music, though… I don’t think that’s even up for debate. I did come across an article a few weeks ago about how Carrie Underwood had a freak accident at home that caused severe facial lacerations. She hasn’t been seen in public since. Hopefully she will recover fully. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/30 "2018-03-02T16:58:10Z")
You must not watch [Sunday Night Football (Carrie Underwood).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi1Q9RfSxw) And, as **actualliberalnotoneofthose** mentioned, Carrie Underwood is responsible for [_Jesus Take the Wheel_.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lydBPm2KRaU) I can tell the two apart, but have no idea what Kelly Clarkson’s hits are. Due to Sunday Night Football, I feel Underwood is overexposed, and honestly, I’m sick to death of her and her singing style. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/31 "2018-03-03T00:51:58Z")
Cultural difference, I guess, but I had no idea Carrie Underwood was anything to do with AI until very recently: I thought she was just a country singer. Kelly Clarkson was introduced as having been the winner of the American version of Pop Idol when Since You’ve Been Gone came out so yeah, I knew that…but confusing the two of them? There’s never been any real chance of that in the UK. It _still_ seems weird, incidentally, that it’s called American Idol. It started here as Pop Idol - nothing to do with Britain in the concept so nothing to do with Britain in the name. I can see why _we_ would need to bother mentioning that the American version was American…but calling it American Idol in America seems a bit like calling it Chinese Food in China. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/32 "2018-03-03T01:01:00Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Cultural difference, I guess, but I had no idea Carrie Underwood was anything to do with AI until very recently: I thought she was just a country singer. Kelly Clarkson was introduced as having been the winner of the American version of Pop Idol when Since You’ve Been Gone came out so yeah, I knew that…but confusing the two of them? There’s never been any real chance of that in the UK. > > It _still_ seems weird, incidentally, that it’s called American Idol. It started here as Pop Idol - nothing to do with Britain in the concept so nothing to do with Britain in the name. I can see why _we_ would need to bother mentioning that the American version was American…but calling it American Idol in America seems a bit like calling it Chinese Food in China. I’m thinking that calling it Pop Idol in American would make it sound like it is limited to one style of music. Although it does seem to be mostly pop music there have also been country and rock performers that have done well. Maybe the term has a different connotation here. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/33 "2018-03-03T01:39:44Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m thinking that calling it Pop Idol in American would make it sound like it is limited to one style of music. Although it does seem to be mostly pop music there have also been country and rock performers that have done well. Maybe the term has a different connotation here. Almost definitely a different feel to the word. Top Of The Pops was \*the \* music show here for decades, and Pop Stars was the immediate forerunner of Pop Idol. Pop in the name of a music show has been the norm for decades. Plus, I guess, it’s far more common to salute the flag and talk about the greatness of the nation over there than it is in the UK, so it’s not as incongruous to hang a name like that on it as it would be here. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/34 "2018-03-03T02:25:00Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Almost definitely a different feel to the word. Top Of The Pops was \*the \* music show here for decades, and Pop Stars was the immediate forerunner of Pop Idol. Pop in the name of a music show has been the norm for decades. Another reason might be, what is meant by “pops music” (as opposed to “pop” music) in the USA is what is called “proms music” in England. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/35 "2018-03-03T11:39:19Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Another reason might be, what is meant by “pops music” (as opposed to “pop” music) in the USA is what is called “proms music” in England. 'tis a good point. Like the Boston Pops and whatnot…I’d forgotten about that. “Proms music” isn’t a name in popular usage though - not in my experience anyway - you’d be more likely to use it descriptively than expecting it to be a recognised term. “Light classical” and the now rather anachronistic “popular song” are more what you’d find…and “popular song” is now more of a name than an accurate description. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/36 "2018-03-03T15:31:52Z")
By _name only_ I get Trisha Yearwood and Carrie Underwood mixed up. Slight name overlap plus sort of similar looks messes up my verbal filing system. But given pics of both I can easily say which is which. (It helps that **Mrs. FtG** watches Yearwood’s cooking show.) Clarkson is nowhere close to either in any way. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/37 "2018-03-03T15:39:37Z")
I find it easy. They have different body and face types, different hair, extremely different names, and sing in different genres. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/38 "2018-03-03T16:20:14Z")
I get Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez mixed up since they look similar and are about the same age. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/39 "2018-03-04T04:44:34Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > For awhile I thought Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood were the same person. 😉 > > I had to look this up, just to get it right. > Kelly Clarkson American Idol Season 1 winner born April, 1982. > > Carrie Underwood American Idol Season 4 winner, born March 1983. > > Both blonde, \*\*\*slim, similar ages, rose to fame the same way and I only occasionally hear them on the radio. Even their names, Carrie and Kelly are oddly similar. Yeah, I get them mixed up constantly. 😉 > > One of them is a bit more country than the other. I don’t feel like listening to a dozen songs to figure it out. > > \*\*\*Kelly isn’t slim anymore. That makes it a little easier, for me, to physically remember which is which when I see them on tv. I don’t think of either of them often, but when Clarkson comes up, I still think of her as brunette. Yeah, that’a a bit variable when women in the entertainment fields come up but back when she was all over the TV far too much she sure wasn’t blonde at that time. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835/40 "2018-03-04T10:52:56Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I get Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez mixed up since they look similar and are about the same age. Not gonna argue with that. I see from from a distance and blur them together too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-kelly-clarkson-and-carrie-underwood-mixed-up/809835.md?page=3)