Kelly Clarkson [FOX]
Update: An emotional live performance on Thursday’s “American Idol” sent Kelly Clarkson’s “Piece By Piece” to #1 on the US single sales chart.
The song, which was not in the Top 100 prior to the performance, seized the throne from Rihanna’s “Work (featuring Drake)” Friday morning.
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The impact of Kelly Clarkson’s emotional Thursday night “Piece By Piece” performance was obvious by virtue of the fact that it had several of the judges and contestants “ugly crying.”
It is also obvious by virtue of the song’s rapid ascent up the iTunes sales chart.
The song, which was not even in the Top 100 on the US iTunes singles chart prior to Thursday’s show, was up to #2 as of 2:30AM ET early Friday morning. It trails only Rihanna’s “Work (featuring Drake)” on the digital retailer’s chart.
In addition the original “Idol” winner’s characteristically strong vocals, the performance featured a legitimate showing of emotion from the powerhouse artist. A tearful Clarkson broke down on multiple occasions, emphasizing the sincerity and greatly amplifying the poignancy of the moment.
It was arguably the most memorable performance ever on an “American Idol” stage, and the aforementioned sales boost could not be less surprising.
A video of the performance follows: