Kelly Clarkson goes a little bit country (Updated January 9, 2013)

With the staying power of reality show music contestants dwindling, one superstar not fading away any time soon is Kelly Clarkson. In a career spanning more than a decade, she remains the most successful "American Idol" contestant internationally, with album sales of more than 25 million and counting.

Much of Clarkson's success has come recently, with her "Stronger" album moving 8,000 copies in the final week of 2012 to pass the million-sales mark. It's the fourth platinum album of Clarkson's career, with 2004's "Breakaway" having sold more than 6 million copies.

The accomplishment is the tip of the iceberg (thus far) for a powerhouse singer who continues to have full creative direction of her music. Already a commercial success with a pop and contemporary sound, she crossed into country music in 2007 when she sang the duet "Because of You" with Reba McEntire, then embarked on the 2 Worlds, 2 Voices tour with Reba the following year. By pairing with Jason Aldean on the power ballad "Don't You Wanna Stay" in 2010, she scored a nomination for female vocalist of the year at the Country Music Association Awards. And in the fall of 2012 she released a soulful duet with Vince Gill called "Don't Rush."

All of this is not to say Clarkson is trading one genre for another. She just refuses to be pigeonholed as a "rock," "pop" or "country" star, and continues to blaze her own path. Following the November 2012 release of a greatest hits compilation, she is currently working on her sixth studio album and has stated that the sound of the new material will be much lighter and happier following her engagement to talent manager Brandon Blackstock.

Clarkson is nominated in three categories for the 55th Grammy Awards in 2013: Best Pop Vocal, Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Kelly Clarkson Tickets - A True American Idol

Call it a dream come true, that legendary FOX show called 'American Idol. Back in the summer of 2002, they hailed the winner of the show for the very first season: a young hopeful named Kelly Clarkson. Born on April 24, 1982, she dreamed of becoming a star. And with an RCA record deal, that dream was becoming true.

Kelly Clarkson Tickets - Definitely a Miss Independent

Her first album "Thankful" was a nationwide hit, especially with the single 'A Moment Like This.' She followed through with a second album, "Breakaway", featuring the breakaway hits 'Since U Been Gone' and 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' as major chart toppers. It was clear that Clarkson was there to stay in the music industry for an incredibly long time, showing she was not just some one-hit wonder or fluke from a television show.

Kelly Clarkson Tickets - She's Got a Voice

There was a reason why she won the American Idol: her voice. Representing a definite maturity unlike her charming, funny demeanor, she appealed both to the R&B; crowd and the Pop performance crowd -- sort of the new-age Paula Abdul, in a way. Her voice was dark and edgy, but her stage presence emitted an beautiful innocence you'd expect from a lighter voice, such as an early Britney Spears or Mandy Moore. Clarkson: clearly an Idol.