Kelly Clarkson surprises fans with cover of 'Lady Marmalade'
Kelly Clarkson was blessed with some amazing pipes.
On the Thursday, Nov. 10, episode of her talk show, Clarkson sang a beautiful rendition of Labelle's 1974 song "Lady Marmalade," which was famously recorded by Pink, Christina Aguilera, Mya and Lil’ Kim in 2001 for the “Moulin Rouge!” soundtrack.
When Clarkson covered Labelle's version on her show alongside her band Y'all, it truly showed that she can sing anything.
Clarkson wowed the crowd when she attempted the tune in a softer voice than Labelle had done in the '70s. However, when it came time for the high notes, Clarkson wasn't afraid to show off her impressive range.
The former winner of "American Idol" closed her eyes and drew her face back from the microphone when she sang the lyrics, "Creole lady marmalade."
At the end of the song, Clarkson was met with a standing ovation from her studio audience.
In 2019, Clarkson interviewed Patti Labelle after she was eliminated from Season Two of "The Masked Singer," and on the show, they both talked about Labelle's song "Lady Marmalade,” which she sang alongside Labelle members Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash.
"I had no clue what that song meant," Labelle said of the sexually suggestive French lyrics.
At one point in the song, the line "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" is repeated over and over. It translates to "Do you want to sleep with me?" in English.
"I just knew that it was a phenomenal, like a hook," Labelle said of the line.
"And then later I found out that the nuns thought we were bad people. The nuns!" she said. "For singing a song about a hooker. I said, 'What hooker?' I just know that I love that melody and the song itself."
Labelle said that after she learned of the song's true meaning she defended it.
"I said, 'Here’s the deal: You don’t take a mattress from a hooker. Let her make her money.' They got to make their money. I ain't stopping it. Work, girls, work," she said as Clarkson laughed.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
