Despite the tabloid drama surrounding "My December," what counts here is: Are there hits? The vinegar-and-pissed-off "Never Again," while a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit on download sales, got a hasty brush-off from top 40. The reflective but equally fretful "Sober" is just hitting radio, with the jury out. On the whole, "My December" is melodically, instrumentally and lyrically combative—a far cry from America's embraceable sweetheart. The uptempo "One Minute" is among the only playful cuts, with its rapid-fire give-and-take verses, while "Be Still" and "Maybe" offer acoustic relief from the onslaught more than halfway through the set. No, "My December" is hardly a scorecard of top 40 hits, but it does demonstrate an artist eager to spread wings and search for her own voice against what Clarkson asserts was a heavy corporate hand over previous efforts. —Chuck Taylor