Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) [Official Video]

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Single by Kelly Clarkson from the album Stronger
Released January 17, 2012
Recorded 2011
LabelRCA
Songwriters Greg Kurstin, Jörgen Elofsson, Ali Tamposi, David Gamson, Kelly Clarkson (uncredited)
Producer Greg Kurstin
Charted No. 1 in US, No. 8 in UK, No. 1 in Canada, No. 20 in France, No. 27 in Germany.

The song was inspired by the Friedrich Nietzsche quotation, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Despite many of his ancestors having been Protestant clergyman, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) regarded himself as a prophet of the death of God and spokesman for the liberated man. All values and morals based on Christian thought, he claimed, must be reappraised and if necessary thrown out.

The German philosopher was a music enthusiast and even composed some pieces himself. He once wrote in Twilight of the Idols:”What trifles constitute happiness! The sound of a bagpipe. Without music life would be a mistake! The German even imagines God as a songster.

Nietzsche was once a friend of Richard Wagner and his writing was influenced by the German composer’s music. He lent his name to the formation of Wagner societies throughout Germany to raise money to build the Wagner opera house at Bayreuth. Later there was a deep enmity between the two Germans and Nietzsche claimed “Wagner’s art is diseased: he has made music sick.”

Nietzsche’s working life ended with a mental collapse after seeing a cab horse being ill-treated by its driver. He flung his arms round the animal’s neck, burst into tears and fell unconscious to the ground. The 44-year-old secular prophet was taken back to his room and spent the last ten years of his life insane in the care of his sister Elisabeth. Although largely overlooked during his working life, by the time of his death, Nietzsche was beginning to receive recognition as a significant figure in philosophy.

In the United States, “Stronger” became Clarkson’s third song to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It held the number one position for two weeks, starting on February 18, 2012. It also topped fifteen other Billboard charts, including Adult Pop Songs, Adult Contemporary, Hot Dance Club Songs, and Pop Songs charts, more than any other song Clarkson has ever released.

On November 21, 2011, Clarkson announced on her website that she wanted to incorporate a global flash mob into the accompanying music video of “Stronger”.[78] She posted: “I’m shooting my video for “What Doesn’t Kill You” and I’d like everyone to join me in my global flash mob! Check out the routine in the video below. Learn it with me and get your cameras ready to record you and your friends rocking these moves in a unique location that shows where you are in the world. Submit your clip using the form below and maybe you’ll see it in my music video!! I can’t wait to see your submissions. Remember to be creative, but keep it safe and legal! Thanks for participating!”

The music video premiered on VEVO on December 14, 2011.[80] Directed by Shane Drake, the video begins with Clarkson in a video control room, watching select flash mob videos submitted by various participants in different monitors. Throughout the video, scenes of Clarkson performing the song in three different settings (alone in a stage, with her band in a garden square, and in the control room) alternate with various flash mob videos. Towards the end of the video, Clarkson, along with the people in the garden square, forms a flash mob featuring a same choreography.