Performing over the weekend in Chicago, Kelly Clarkson decided to bring her formidable voice to bear on a cover of Sam Smith‘s “Stay With Me.”
“I just like the word ‘stay’ in songs,” she joked, unveiling her version of Smith’s hit after singing “Don’t You Want To Stay,” a duet Clarkson originally recorded with Jason Aldean. Check out Clarkson’s impressive “Stay With Me,” augmented by simple guitar and organ instrumentation, below:
Smith’s track, currently at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, evokes ’60s soul and gospel. Clarkson has always harbored an interest in that classic sound — her debut album, Thankful, included a bonus cover of Aretha Franklin‘s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”
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Shared influences aside, Clarkson covering “Stay With Me” seems fitting — it’s only a matter of time before the track becomes a standard on shows like American Idol.