Kelly Clarkson Wades Into Taylor Swift Controversy

Four days after what critics described as Taylor Swift's "pitch-challenged" performance at the Grammy Awards, Kelly Clarkson has weighed in on the controversy after Swift’s record label CEO criticized American Idol. In a blog post, Clarkson responded to recent comments by Big Machine Records’s Scott Borchetta, who told the Associated Press that the four-time Grammy winner "is the voice of this generation. She speaks directly to [her fans], and they speak directly back to her." He added, "This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator." In a letter addressed to Borchetta, Clarkson wrote that she understood why he would defend Swift – he said, "We had a volume problem in the ear ... She couldn't hear herself like she had in rehearsal" – but said she found it "upsetting" that he attacked the star-making TV show. "We not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the 'right' notes as well," the American Idol winner wrote.