Kelly Clarkson Reveals Huge Career Shifts for 2025: ‘Feel Like I’ve Earned It’

Nearly 23 years after she won the very first “American Idol,” singing sensation Kelly Clarkson continues to make bold moves in her music career. On February 5, 2025, she announced that she’s returning to Las Vegas for a new residency called “Studio Sessions.”

Though Clarkson also headlined residencies there the last two years, she promised the 18 shows she’s planning will be very different than past efforts. The news of Clarkson’s new residency comes on the heels of her revealing in late January that she’s also started her own record label, with plans to release new music in 2025.

Kelly Clarkson Says There Are Still Details She Can’t Share About Upcoming Projects

To help announce her new “Studio Sessions” residency, Clarkson uploaded a social media video with the house band from “The Kelly Clarkson Show” behind her.

“There are so many exciting things happening, actually, I can’t wait to share it all with you,” Clarkson said to her followers as she stood backstage with the band. “But for now, we are finally ready to announce one very, very fun thing that we are stoked about for this summer.”

Clarkson then shouted, “We’re going back to Vegas! We’re very excited. That’s right, we have a new residency and we are bringing the studio to the stage. This time with Studio Sessions, which we are stoked about.”

The “Since You’ve Been Gone” songstress hinted there’s more news to come, saying, “We can’t tell you all the things,” but she did announce that 18 concert dates are planned at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in July, August and November, with pre-sales kicking off on February 7.

Kelly Clarkson is Also Looking Forward to Controlling Her Music Releases

After two decades of releasing hit after hit, Clarkson revealed on the January 22 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” that she’s started her own record label. The topic came up as she interviewed Keke Palmer, who said she’s been a huge Clarkson fan since “American Idol,” when the actress and musician spoke about starting her label in 2017.

Clarkson told her, “I just now started my own label and I’m putting out my own stuff. I’ve had some good teams to work with, but there is nothing like being that 10-year-old again and being excited and nobody saying, ‘Oh, you should do this’ and ‘You should do this.’”

When Palmer said most people don’t understand how hard it is to run a record label, Clarkson replied, “Girl, I’m finding out! I’m putting together a music video, and I’m like, ‘Wait, I forgot to do what?’ I just now started it. I started writing, and I was like, ‘Wait, how do I put this out now?’ And then, I was like ‘Well, I guess through me.'”

“I feel like I’ve earned it, so I’m excited,” she said. “I think I’ve earned the moment.”

Clarkson first signed with RCA after she won “American Idol,” according to American Songwriter, and then moved to Atlantic Records in 2016, where she’s still listed as one of their artists.

During a January 25 Instagram Q&A, Clarkson excitedly responded to a question about new music by saying, “So we do have some new music coming out in 2025, I’m very excited, yeah. On my own label!”

“I get to just be more creative and more free,” she continued, “with, like, decisions. Yeah, I’m paying for it, but yeah, it’s something I believe in.”