Steve Harvey encouraged Kelly Clarkson to make soul record

Singer Kelly Clarkson credits comedian and TV personality Steve Harvey with inspiring her to get really soulful on her new album.
The "Because of You" hitmaker recently dumped the deal she signed with Sony Music's RCA Records after winning the first season of "American Idol" back in 2002, and joined the roster at Atlantic Records.
At the time of the June announcement, Clarkson revealed the album she had started working on drew on her love of soul and R&B music, confessing "it's a record that I have been wanting to make since I was a little girl, and a record that fans have been asking me to make for years".

Now, the 34-year-old singer has revealed it was actually Harvey who encouraged her to embrace the more soulful side of her vocals, which she had become known for while on the hit TV talent show, before embarking on a more pop/rock career path for her album releases, reported Contactmusic.
The pair met at US President Barack Obama's second inauguration back in 2013, when Clarkson performed a moving rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", and a chat with Harvey got her thinking about the direction of her future projects.
"I sang at the Inauguration... And Steve Harvey, one of my favourite people, came up to me and was like, 'Oh my gosh, I didn't know you could, like, sing!'" Clarkson said.

The singer said she was initially taken aback by the comment, but she soon realised he meant it as a compliment.
"I was like, 'What the hell?'. I was like, 'What have I been doing for 14 years?' He goes, 'No, no, no! I like your stuff, but you should be making an album like that. Where's that record?' I was like, 'It's coming! You're going to know it.'
"It's true, I don't feel like I've done a record that's shown my potential.