Kelly Clarkson lends her voice to a sultry new song by a fellow reality show champion.
Clarkson appears on “From the Jump,” a new track from James Arthur, who won Britain’s “X Factor” in 2012. Clarkson, of course, catapulted to fame as the winner of the inaugural season of “American Idol” in 2002.
“From the Jump” is a weepy love song, with Clarkson, whose last album, "Chemistry," came out in 2023, popping in around the 90-second mark, doing what she does best: leaving her mark on a song.
“I know this sounds cliché/ But I was in love with you from the first sight/ Like a moth drawn to a flame/ And I know even in another life/ I would find you and hold you/ Remember I told you I’d never let go, baby,” she sings, accompanied by an acoustic guitar, while Arthur joins in.
The song is a searing ballad about the power of love and showcases Clarkson’s impeccable voice, especially when she sings “I just wanna spend forever with you” toward the end, while hitting and holding a note in a way that fans marvel at, even if they’ve come to expect it from her.
Astonished fans couldn’t hold back their praise of the song.
“James Arthur and Kelly Clarkson, both winners and survivors of TV talent shows, proving beyond any doubt that their respective careers are the result of HARD WORK!!!” one person raved on Arthur’s YouTube page where the song is posted.
“james arthur AND kelly clarkson?? WOW THANK YOU BOTH FOR THIS SONG!” someone else commented.
“James Arthur and Kelly Clarkson together equals perfection! This song is beautiful!!” another person wrote.
“It’s criminal to be this vocally talented (their voices are a perfect harmony),” someone else gushed.
“Kelly can literally sing anything with anyone and it’s amazing. Beautiful voices blending together,” chimed in another fan.
Clarkson and Arthur appear to share a mutual respect.
“@kellyclarkson I love what you’ve brought to this song, your vocals blow my mind. It’s a real full-circle moment for me to work with you on this,” Arthur wrote on X, in part, on April 19.
"I love singing with artists that inspire me and vocalists that I adore! So when @JamesArthur23 sent me this song, I quite literally jumped to be on it (see what I did there )," Clarkson wrote on X, in part, on April 12.
While Clarkson has racked up more than 10 songs in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in her career, Arthur has no such hit to his credit, although his song "Say You Won't Let Go" soared to No. 11 on the chart in 2017.