'Idol' to beat

SO WHO'S THE hardest working "American Idol" wannabe this season?

Judging from the TV performances and interviews she's dished out over the last week, our vote has to go to . . . Kelly Clarkson. Right, the big belter who won the talent contest's first season way back when in 2002.

Clarkson's been out there beating the bushes like nobody's business to rekindle fan fanaticism for her just-released fourth album, "All I Ever Wanted" (RCA/19, B+). She scored her biggest exposures Wednesday on her former TV home, then over the weekend on "Saturday Night Live."

The numbers aren't out yet, but we're guessing she'll push Taylor Swift and U2 off the top of the charts.

Now 27 and still Texas-based, the grown-prettier-with-the-years Clarkson doesn't exactly have a tale of woe to lay on the public. At least, not in the same vein as this year's "Idol" single mom contestants Alexis Grace and Megan Joy Corkery, the visually impaired Scott MacIntyre, way-premature widower Danny Gokey or the hurricane-displaced Lil Rounds (and large family).

They've brought us to tears - and votes.

But Clarkson was clearly brought down a few pegs

(if not

exactly "humbled")

by the critical and commercial drubbing of her last album, mid-2006's dour and sour "My December." You know, that melodramatic, ballad-dominated "personal statement" that she fought to have released against the objections of then-label chief Clive Davis.

While Clarkson's prior albums each sold at least four or five times as many copies, the singer is trying to suggest now the 2 million world sales for "My December" was nothing to sneeze at, and a good career move.

"It's not about everything being super successful," she declared in a recent interview. "To me it's about having a long and varied career, because nobody wants to buy the same album twice."

Still, history suggests that once the paying audience for a youth-oriented pop star falls off, it's difficult to get those fickle fans back in the fold. In the wake of her chilly "December" reception, Clarkson's ambitious summer 2007 arena tour was abruptly canceled, likely (though never stated) due to poor ticket sales.

She also suffered a falling-out with her management, whom Clarkson now allows was "pushing too hard" for her to be an international superstar. In truth, they were doing a pretty good job. Clarkson is the only "American Idol" to have scored hits overseas.

Also likely to give this artist pause: Season-five champion Taylor Hicks' just-out album "The Distance" (oh so Michael McDonald!) and season-six, third-place-scoring Melinda Doolittle's new set of old soul are nowhere to be found on this week's Billboard Top 200!

Doolittle's "Coming Back to You" at least debuted in February at No. 58, though it dropped out of sight after four weeks.

However, older albums by "Idol" alums Jennifer Hudson, David Cook, David Archuleta, Chris Daughtry and Elliot Yamin are still represented on the Billboard albums chart, in ascending slots between Nos. 42 and 162.

Thematically, the tunes on "All I Ever Wanted" pick up on that unlucky-in-love persona Clarkson unburdened for us in "My December." But for the most part, she's bouncing back, emotionally and rhythmically, with a gotta-keep-dancing pop vitality meant to inspire fellow travelers on the rocky road of romance.

Even dysfunctional love is better than none at all, she rationalizes. If the romance is really kaput, though, just walk on, counselor Clarkson croons, quivers, rocks and shouts.

Clarkson's name appears on the credits for six of the album's 14 tunes, mostly as a co-writer with Ryan Tedder, lead singer/composer of One Republic ("Apologize") and also a hit maker for everyone from Leona Lewis ("Bleeding") to "Idol" finalist Blake Lewis.

But the tunes getting the initial push are up-tempo pop-rockers fine-tuned by other composers to fit Clarkson's personality.

The lead track and already million-selling single "My Life Would Suck Without You" features the stamp of global hit-makers Dr. Luke and Max Martin.

OK, who remembers when the word "suck" was not considered suitable for broadcast? Isn't Kelly "edgy?!?!"

Likewise pushing the envelope (ever so slightly) is that other track (and follow-up single) Clarkson did on "SNL" Saturday, "I Do Not Hook Up." It's a similarly peppy rocker, laced with a little sexual innuendo (and moralistic "no-go") and crafted by Katy Perry (of "I Kissed a Girl" fame), Greg Wells and one Kara DioGuardi - yes, that new and grating "American Idol" judge.

I'm guessing DioGuardi supplied the line, "You got too much talent."

The great thing about Clarkson is that she can sing in almost any style with conviction, and she clearly aims for diversity on "All I Ever Wanted." There's a down-home tremulousness in her voice on the waltzy ballad "Cry" that should subtly connect with country music fans. Yet her "Whyyawannabringmedown" is as punked-out as Pink ever gets.

Overseas fans will grin at the Euro-pop-percolating synth vibes of Clarkson and Tedder's "If I Can't Have You" (think Soft Cell, Eurythmics) and "Impossible" (nodding a little to ABBA).

And while Clarkson has a few ho-hummers in the midsection, things authentically crank to a strong finale with the feelin'-groovy "Ready," "twist" rhythm of "I Want You" and her cultured, classy finale (penned by Keri Noble), "If No One Will Listen."

Just one contestant on this year's "American Idol" roster seems to have both Clarkson's feisty nature and "could sing the phone book" charms - 16-year-old, raspberry Jello-haired Allison Iraheta.

This L.A.-based, Hispanic-rooted singer rocked the socks off "Give in to Me" for last week's Michael Jackson songathon, with a conviction so strong judge Simon Cowell seemed scared. If she's been led to the right material, I'm betting Iraheta will do equally well on tonight's country-themed competition. (This could be the death knell for Anoop Desai. But hey, you didn't really want to make it to the Top 10 and get on the tour bus, did you, fella? It'd ruin your straight A average!)

Also likely to go the distance this season are flamboyant belter Adam Lambert (literally plucked off the stage of "Wicked") and earnest, middle-America-fave Gokey, who sounds as if he just stepped off the church choir podium - which he did.

This writer's envisioning a Blue States-versus-Red States finale. Like we really need another of those.

But no one has been consistently killing me this season with song and backstory, the way Clarkson did and still does today.

That's why, seven seasons later, she's still the "American Idol" contestant to beat. *