My iTunes Library Would Suck Without You.

For the next three weeks, my music listening will be almost 100% devoted to the original Broadway cast recording of Legally Blonde, as I prepare to meet up with Lindsey in Orlando and see the show as it tours the US (sadly, the musical's last Broadway show *ever* was in October of last year). I will devote every listening opportunity (other than the socially unacceptable blaring over the sound system at work) until March 13th to full lyric (refresh) memorization.

I had been looking forward to March 17th (the Tuesday after the show) as the release date for Kelly Clarkson's third album, "All I Ever Wanted". I can shamelessly say that Clarkson is a permanent fixture on my top 5 favorite artists of all time. Though I love certain gems more than others, there is not a song of hers I *don't* like, and I have been a fan of hers since the day she auditioned for Idol (although there was a brief delusional moment in my life where I was pulling for Guarini to take season one). My fandom has led embarrassing admissions such as custom tees for the first Idol season tour (Don't Mess With Clarkson, can any of my readers produce an old school picture of this?), attending 3 concerts (one with Clay Aiken, and yes, I loved it), and downloads of every Idol performance (still on a playlist, thankyouverymuch). Clarkson is the love, and the new album looks awesome. I have been rocking the single on a running playlist since its release, and I am still not tired of it (maybe because I haven't actually been running that much lately?). I have done some snooping around for info on the new album, and today I read (and confirmed via several news sources) that the album release date has been pushed up to March 10th! Now, this presents a few problems. One, I like to do a thorough recap of her previous albums before listening to the new, and with 3 already under her belt, that means a couple solid days of all Clarkson, all the time. I can't do *that* AND devote my time to the LB sountrack. I'm not sure how everything will pan out, but I have been faced with great new music all at once before (couldn't stop listening to Gaga and get started on Dierks), and basically what happens is just a ton of musical love. I am just happy that we will be able to blare Clarkson, windows down, throughout Orlando during LB weekend. I am half excited, half terrified that 2 tracks on the new album have actually been written and already recorded by Katy Perry (with whom I have a love/hate relationship), but I am certain they will be phenomenal.

In other release date news, Keith Urban's "Defying Gravity" drops March 31st, giving me just enough time to let go of KC and move on to Urban listening. I was also happy to read today that, on a literary front, we can expect new gems from both Jane Green *and* Jennifer Weiner this year ("Dune Road" on June 16th, and "Best Friends Forever" on September 8th, respectively). Hurrah!