It’s safe to say the first “Kellyoke” cover of 2026 did not disappoint.
Kelly Clarkson started the year off with a bang with a powerful performance of a hit rock song on the Monday, Jan. 12 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Taking the stage with her show’s house band to back her up, Clarkson, 43, completely leaned in to a gritty rock sound while putting her own spin on “No One Else Like Me,” by the country-rock band The Red Clay Strays.
The performance began with Clarkson’s silky smooth vocals and subtle country twang, but by the end of the song she was full-on rocking out and unleashing some rasp-filled high notes.
And Clarkson wasn’t the only one who appeared to be having a blast on stage, as her band, particularly guitarist Jaco Caraco, also appeared to be shredding their instruments behind her.
At the end of the song, Clarkson was met with a roar of applause from the studio audience before she turned around and bowed down to her band.
Fans were not only thrilled to hear Clarkson cover the Red Clay Strays hit, but also stunned—yet not surprised—to witness her perfect execution of the cover.
“I love this song. And Kelly, you mastered it!😍” one user wrote in the comments on Instagram.
Another person added, “This feels like an absolute master class in blending genres. Like, somehow this is rock, country, pop, blues, gospel…PURE MAGIC!”
“Her voice really shines with this style of music,” someone else chimed in.
“Hello miss power” one fan wrote in response to Clarkson’s impressive vocals, while another person pointed out, “The band crushed it today!”
Many other fans were just simply overjoyed to hear a new Kellyoke cover for the first time in 2026, with one user declaring, “2026 can now start.”
