On a new episode of Carpool Karaoke Wednesday night, inaugural American Idol winner and Meaning of Life singer Kelly Clarkson took the passenger seat alongside Late Late Show host James Corden for her long-awaited appearance on the viral singalong skit.
Riffing through a selection of her soulful new material as well as plenty of classics, the powerhouse and her partner in singing crime are a joy to behold. Clarkson’s eighth album, Meaning of Life, was released last month, a follow-up to 2015’s Piece by Piece. Her lead single, “Love So Soft,” is currently charting on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also received a Grammy nomination this week, for Best Pop Vocal Performance.
Clarkson’s keeping busy these days: she recently signed on to be a coach on the new season of the Voice, alongside long-time coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, meaning she will officially complete the cycle from one-time contestant to adjudicator of talent — and perhaps changing the future of some of her selected proteges.
In the meantime, you can watch her sing with Corden and joke in characteristically candid style in the new Carpool Karaoke video, above.
- Meet TIME’s Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
- After Visiting Both Ends of the Earth, I Realized How Much Trouble We’re In
- Google Is Making It Easier to Remove Personal Info From Search
- Oil Companies Posted Huge Profits. Here’s Where The Cash Will Go (Hint: Not Climate)
- Column: We Asked Hundreds of Americans About Abortion. Their Feelings Were Complicated
- A Short History of the Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of the Marcos Family
- Long-Lasting Birth Control Is Already Hard to Get. Advocates Worry It May Only Get Worse
- Who Should Be on the 2022 TIME100? Vote Now