AceShowbiz -

Kelly Clarkson finally makes her return to the music industry by releasing her first effort, "Meaning of Life", since parting ways with her longtime label RCA Records. Shortly after its release, the album arrived at No. 2 on Billboard 200 chart, while the lead track "Love So Soft" topped Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.

Prior to the release, Kelly claimed that "Meaning of Life" is the effort that she had always wanted to make ever since childhood, describing it as a "soul urban pop" album. "I love all my stuff that I've done but this is the record that has been in me since junior high," she said. "And that music from I was in junior high school is now coming back [into style]."

Now that the album has been released, it has gotten a lot of good reviews. Most reviewers remarked that she sounds more liberated and free in this album. A music critic even said that Clarkson's reinvented sound has demonstrated her ability to be a dynamic artist. One of the tracks off the album, "Whole Lotta Woman", is believed to be the highlight of the album. It was because the humorous lyrics connects to the time when she lived in Texas. Many critics remarked that Kelly sounds more confident in the country-inspired song.

Besides releasing her album, the Grammy Award winner is currently busy being a judge in the fourteenth season of "The Voice". Many people wondered why the first winner of "American Idol" chose to be a judge on the NBC show instead of returning to her roots. Well, she said that it was because of her family.

"I want it to be a great experience for my whole family, and that's what I have to think about at this point in my life," she told Entertainment Weekly. "We're used to 'The Voice' schedule, we already have to work around it because of our family. We have four children - that can be very taxing with a schedule."