Kelly Clarkson Reveals She’s Written 60 Songs Amid Divorce From Brandon Blackstock

Kelly Clarkson has been channeling her heartbreak into new music. The Voice coach opened up to Entertainment Tonight ahead of the NBC singing competition’s March 1 season premiere about how music has been there for her since she filed for divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock in June and as they work on co-parenting their two kids together, daughter River Rose, 6, and son Remington Alexander, 4.

Clarkson revealed she’s working on a record right now that is “really great and really honest” but will require her to ask many questions of herself before releasing it. “Whether that be that be business-wise or personally or whatever,” she explained. Whatever happens, though, it is such a gift. Like, I don’t know how anybody, I’ll just be real with you, goes through grief like divorce, any kind of grief, any kind of loss, without having an outlet like this.”

She continued, “I have written like 60 songs; it is an insane amount of getting it out. I think that’s a blessing in itself,” she continued. “Anytime you go through some life, it’s such an awesome thing to have that outlet, regardless of whether people hear it or not.”

The artist is known for songs about heartbreak like “Because of You” or “Piece by Piece,” which she shared have been “shaped” her and also “been really hard.” Putting out songs like those is a difficult choice because of how personal they are, “but the other side of you is like, ‘Man, how many people have come up to me.’ Like, ‘You have no idea. I never wanted to talk about it; I have never told anyone this.’ Music has that way, even for me. I listen to other artists and music has a way of healing you.”

Right now, the American Idol winner said she’s been drawing on fellow Voice coach John Legend’s latest album, Bigger Love, for hope during this difficult time. “I literally was going through the worst moments of my emotional life. And his record, it’s not like a Joni Mitchell [album], or Jagged Little Pill, it’s the complete opposite of that. It’s all about that kind of love that you find, that kind of connection you find, and it was so helpful for me,” she admitted.

Speaking as “a fan, not friend,” having a record like that come out when you’re feeling “hopeless,” Clarkson said, can be a very healing thing. “It’s a really important thing that we remember we are a really important vessel for a lot of messages that people need to hear,” she continued. “Because me hearing that during this time was like, ‘OK, it’s not hopeless. It’s not over.’ It was a very therapeutic record for me, which is so interesting because I was feeling none of those emotions while listening to it. But the hope that’s there is such a beautiful thing.”