In honor of Veterans Day, Kelly Clarkson is putting a patriotic spin on the "Kellyoke" portion of her talk show.
On Wednesday, singer and host performed the Ray Charles rendition of "America the Beautiful" as a tribute to service members in the U.S. Armed Forces. On a stage decked out in red, white and blue and plenty of stars and stripes, Clarkson, 38, began with a soft, soulful approach. Her band accompanied her on piano and guitar.
Throughout the song, however, she cranks up the energy by belting the high notes in a way that only the original "American Idol" can. When she sings the famous line "above the fruited planes," she kicks things up a notch as projections of stars rise behind her. She also hits about 10 different notes when she sings the word "brotherhood" — truly impressive. At the end, she closes her eyes and smiles as she sings, "God shed His grace on thee."
Fans were immediately taken with the power of her performance.
"Stunning if I had her talent I would never shut up. Those vocals are absolutely incredible," one person commented on YouTube.
"I look forward to kellyoke the most. Any song she picks you can feel her soul and she rocks it," added another.
"Chill bumps!! Thank you Queen Kelly! Happy Veterans day to all those who served and are currently," wrote a third.
Earlier this week, the mother of two absolutely crushed her cover of Aerosmith's "Dream On," even though lead singer Steven Tyler is a tough one to compete with. She hasn't been sticking to only classic tunes, however.
In late October, she put her own spin on the song of this past summer, Harry Styles' "Watermelon Sugar" and the '90s anthem "Torn," made famous by Natalie Imbruglia.