"Cry" is a song by American singer and songwriter

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...

, taken from her fourth studio album, '' All I Ever Wanted'' (2009). It was written by Clarkson,

Jason Halbert Jason Halbert (born June 3, 1974) is an American producer, music director, musician, engineer and songwriter. He has been Kelly Clarkson's music director since 2003, shortly after her ''American Idol'' win. He has also served as music director for ...

and Mark Townsend, with production being done by

Howard Benson Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008. Early life and education Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philade ...

. It was released as the album's fourth single (fifth and final overall) only in Australia and Germany; it was released as a digital download on March 12, 2010 in Germany and added to Australian radio stations on March 15, 2010. "Cry" is a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

ballad, with Clarkson adding that it is a "

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

" ballad with influences of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

. Inspired by a friendship that went sour, lyrically, "Cry" talks about

betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. O ...

. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who agreed the song matched Clarkson's ability to dominate a ballad, while also praising her vocals on the track. The song was covered by

Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables'' (1995–1996), ''Ragtime'' (1997–1999), ...

on a season three episode of ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'', and her version charted in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Composition and lyrics

The song was written by

and Mark Townsend. Production was done by

, who was also responsible for providing keyboards and programming. Drums were played by

Josh Freese Joshua Ryan Freese (born December 25, 1972) is an American session drummer. He is the son of tuba soloist Stan Freese and the older brother of musician Jason Freese. He is a member of the Vandals (since 1989) and Devo (since 1996), having for ...

, Paul Bushnell provided bass and guitar was played by

Phil X Theofilos Xenidis (born March 10, 1966), better known as Phil X, is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Since 2013, he has played lead guitar with Bon Jovi and officially replaced former lead guitarist Richie Sambora in 2016. Career Early ...

. Mike Plotnikoff was responsible for recording, while digital editing was added by Paul Decarli, with additional engineering being done by Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Company, "Cry" was written in the key of

B major B major (or the key of B) is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and ...

, with a moderate tempo of 70

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. Clarkson's vocals span from the low note of B3 to the high note of F5. "Cry" is a

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...

, written as a "

" song, according to Clarkson, who also explained that it is "very much influenced by

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...

." Lyrically, "Cry" talks about

with Clarkson describing it as "the most personal song on the album." She also explained that the main inspiration behind the song was about a friendship that went wrong and she decided to write in the form of a relationship, because "usually people relate to those songs." She further added: "With that song, I went through a really shitty thing with someone who betrayed me. When I started writing the song I was like, 'I'm gonna write this like it's a guy and a relationship.'" In the chorus, she wonders, "Is it over yet? Can I open my eyes?."

Release and reception

Clarkson originally wanted "Cry" to be released as the third single from the album, but her record label

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westin ...

decided to release " Already Gone" instead. Later, "Cry" was released as the album's fourth single in Germany and Australia. It was released as a digital download in Germany on March 12, 2010, and was sent to Australian radio on March 15, 2010, where it became the second most-added song to radio that week.

Critical response

The song received positive reviews by music critics. Ann Powers of ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' considered an "old-fashioned tear-jerker that Clarkson does so well." J. Freedom du Lack of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' agreed, also calling it a "big, bereft tear-jerker, a Clarkson specialty." Kerri Mason of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' noted that the song is "memorable", while Evan Davies of ''Now'' called it a "requisite (and equally decent) ballad that make use of her impressive range." While analysing her vocal performance on the album, Daniel Brockman wrote for ''

The Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' a ...

'' that her "tone-deaf emotional bludgeoning tends to work in her favor on monstrous power ballads like 'Cry' and ' Already Gone,' which linger in your memory long after the

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com known profess ...

love hangover fades." Eric R. Danton of

The Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New H ...

noted that she "shines brightest" on the album's ballads. Jon Dolan of ''

Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...

'' noted that, on "Cry", "breaking up triggers an eye-flood of biblical proportion." For Elle J Small of

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...

, "'Cry' gleams from the rest of the pack with its beautiful guitar riffs and gushing melodies. Clarkson is the cherry on the cake of this future hit." Michael Cragg of

musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

described it as "particularly dreary", whilst Jon Caramanica of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it "a shouter of a breakup song." Jody Rosen of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' agreed with Clarkson definition of the song, naming it "a big waltz-time ballad whose tune holds a hint of Nashville-pop twang. Clarkson grew up in Texas listening to country; 'Cry' serves notice that she could give Carrie Underwood a run for her money." Huffington Post's Mike Ragogna noted that her vocals on the track "blow away any comparisons to her youngish peers, such as those of the Disney variety." In a less favorable review, Jonathan Keefe of

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...

stated that "the use of electronic vocal enhancement throughout the album ..strips the natural warmth of her voice on 'Cry', making her delivery sound distant and tinny".

Credits and personnel

;Recording *Recorded at Bay 7 Studios, Valley Village, CA; Sparky Dark Studio, Calabasas, CA; Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA *Assisted at Sunset Sound by Graham Hope ;Personnel *Songwriting -

Mark Lee Townsend Mark Lee Townsend is an American multi-instrumentalist and record producer best known as guitarist for the Christian rock band dc Talk and as the long-time producer for Christian rock band Relient K. Townsend's career started as a member, singe ...

* Production -

* Vocals - Kelly Clarkson * Keyboards and Programming - Howard Benson * Drums -

* Bass - Paul Bushnell * Guitar -

* Recording - Mike Plotnikoff * Digital Editing - Paul Decarli * Additional engineering - Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki Credits adapted from ''All I Ever Wanted'' booklet liner notes.

Release history

Glee version

The song was covered by actress

in the ''

'' episode " Choke", which first aired on May 1, 2012. It was later available for digital download.

Charts

References

{{authority control 2010 singles 2012 singles Pop ballads Rock ballads Columbia Records singles Kelly Clarkson songs RCA Records singles Songs written by Kelly Clarkson Song recordings produced by Howard Benson Sony Music singles 2008 songs 2000s ballads Songs written by Jason Halbert