Kelly Clarkson Says She Was 'Crying Her Face Off' When She Wrote This Song

With the holiday season fast approaching, it's time to bring some Christmas jams into the rotation! Few things envelop us with holiday cheer quite like when Kelly Clarkson sings "Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know)." The original song (written by Clarkson) touches on some of the more challenging feelings many people experience during the holidays. 

Clarkson first performed the track while hosting NBC's 2021 holiday special When Christmas Comes Around, where she was joined by fellow stars Brett Eldredge, Ariana Grande, Jay Leno, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Odom Jr., and Amy Poehler.

Before her emotional performance of the new song, the talk show Host opened up about what inspired her to write it. 

"There aren’t many holiday songs for people feeling lost and just plain sad," said Clarkson. "The holidays come with a whole range of emotions. I’m going to be real with y’all: When I wrote this next song, I was crying my face off, which happens even at Christmas time. I’d just put my kids to bed, and I was just going through it, having a really hard time."

Knowing the story behind the song makes Clarkson's performance even more touching. Her stunning vocal clarity was on full display here as she led the audience through a tender narrative. It wasn't long before Clarkson let her expert vocals take center stage with electrifying and effortless crescendos and a powerful restraint that made us hang on every lyric. 

It's that good, people. Watch for yourself in the video, above. 

To hear more awesome Kelly Clarkson performances, check your local listings for The Kelly Clarkson Show.