Kelly Clarkson Covers ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ as Emotional Piano Ballad

Kelly Clarkson regularly covers classic songs on her talk show, and she recently performed a haunting rendition of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” Reimagining the song as an emotional piano ballad, Clarkson took the stage for her “Kellyoke” segment and delivered her take on the beloved song while a member of her band played the piano behind her. The performance was an obvious hit with Clarkson’s audience, as they took to their feet cheering when she finished.

Over on YouTube, Clarkson fans have been showering the clip with praise in the comments section. “Beautiful. Really highlights the fact that while so many ABBA songs have a euphoric hands-in-the-air sound, the lyrics often tend to be more melancholy,” one person wrote. “Kelly is truly unstoppable, she made me feel like that was the first time I’ve heard that song when I love ABBA, it was just remarkable. It gave me soft rock vibes,” someone else added. “Pure chills and goosebumps. “Wow” what a fantastic rendition of dancing queen. The best alternative version I have ever heard from the best female vocalist in the world in my humble opinion,” a third fan commented.

Notably, back in 2021 ABBA officially announced their return, after a nearly 40-year hiatus. The band had previously teased something called Voyage was on the way. Fans later learned that Voyage was the name of the band’s new album, which was released on Nov. 5. The iconic pop group is also debuting a new concert project, dubbed “ABBA Voyage,” which will start in London on May 27, 2022, per Variety.

“It’s been a while since we made music together. Almost 40 years, actually. We took a break in the spring of 1982 and now we’ve decided it’s time to end it,” the members of the group — Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad — said in a joint statement. “They say it’s foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we’ve recorded a follow-up to [1981’s] ‘The Visitors.’ To tell the truth, the main inspiration to record again comes from our involvement in creating the strangest and most spectacular concert you could ever dream of. We’re going to be able to sit back in an audience and watch our digital selves perform our songs on a stage in a custom-built arena in London next spring. Weird and wonderful!”