Kelly Clarkson's Boldest Hair Transformations Over The Years

Kelly Clarkson is versatile when it comes to her mane moves. From long to short, blonde to brunette, and a whole bunch of in between, the singer has shown time and time again that her hair is as ever-evolving as her entertainment career. 

Once strictly a vocalist with an award-winning set of lungs, Clarkson has since taken her down-home charm to the land of television, hosting her own series aptly named "The Kelly Clarkson Show." It was on that talk show, the winner of eight Daytime Emmy Awards, that she premiered one of her boldest tress silhouettes: bangs. In November 2023, she started out with a wispy set, then eased into a full, proper fringe — the perfect accessory to the many trendy looks she's worn since her stunning weight loss transformation.

As a beauty reporter for over 20 years, I've been watching Clarkson and all her many hair transformations since the minute she won the first season of "American Idol" back in 2002. Some of her lock looks have been chef's-kiss perfection (like that lash-kissing fringe), while others have been questionable. The journey through Clarkson's hair past is a road paved in clippings, hair dyes, and extensions, and we've rolled up our pants to examine some of the more striking silhouettes.

When Kelly Clarkson won the first "American Idol" in 2002, she was all about the stripes — her naturally dark hair streaked with both thick and thin widths of champagne blonde. Back in the day, it was the cheater's way of adding lightness to your color without having to sit in a salon chair for hours under bleach and dye. As Clarkson was busy rehearsing for and filming live episodes of the vocal competition show, she only had the time for bold highlights painted over the top.

The stripes also emphasized her cut, which consisted of heavy layering all around the bottom few inches. With the blonde only applied to the shortest layers, the longer layers underneath remained a dark contrast that appeared striking on camera.

It's true the look was a popular one in the early aughts, but even back then, not everyone was a fan. If the look wasn't done exactly right, it just looked like a hot streaky mess. Clarkson had the right professionals working on her hair, though, and she managed to pull off the look. But in retrospect? Probably not a mane move she'll return to any time soon (no more "Piece by Piece" highlights, thank you very much).

Forget those few random pale stripes — this is all-out, all-over blond. Before Barbie was ever an aesthetic, Kelly Clarkson did her best to imitate the bombshell doll by going fully golden for the first time. After what was probably a long and complicated coloring process, the star stunned on the red carpet in May 2005 with loose waves tumbling over her shoulders in a buttery shade, without even a hint of dark roots.

Riding on the success of her second album, "Breakaway," Clarkson was making a name for herself beyond "American Idol," and racking up hits like "Since U Been Gone," and "Behind These Hazel Eyes." A mane makeover appeared to be just one more way to present herself as an independent artist — who would even, one day, go on to start her own furniture line.

Clarkson has since proven she can go lighter with her hair hue and make it work, but she could have done better with this first attempt. The three-time Grammy-winning singer has a fair complexion, and this particular shade of blond, with its yellow undertones, only made her look washed out (even with the pink-blushed cheeks and blue eyeshadow). 

On June 12, 2014, Kelly Clarkson gave birth to her first child, daughter River Rose. The singer openly admitted her pregnancy was difficult, and several months later, she gave herself a post-baby boost with a bold haircut of opposites: One side was shaved close to the head, while the rest of her tresses remained longer. The shaved portion was left her naturally dark hair hue, while the length was lightened to a dusky blonde shade. 

"I went to my hair girl and I was like, 'I need something different, I need something to make me feel less like a 'mom,'" Clarkson shared with PopCrush. "Because I just felt like I was super locked up. I was just so sick all the time, I wasn't feeling good."

Clarkson's "hair girl" totally understood the assignment when she gave her superstar client the edgy silhouette, and Clarkson wore it like the boss she is. A "convertible cut," it was also a smart snip, being able to convert to a different vibe with little trouble. The "Miss Independent" singer could easily shift to a center part and cover the shaved side to make it appear as if her hair was all one length.

She's got a dozen top-10 hits on the Billboard charts, and we're going to consider this snip a top-10 hit for Kelly Clarkson on the hair charts. After playing with the length back and forth, she came to the 2018 Billboard Music Awards with a statement bob. Blunt cut without a layer in sight, the length skimmed the tops of her shoulders, angled just a hint from back to front. The geometric cut was heavily highlighted in a myriad of blond tones for an overall golden effect.

Clarkson wore her blond bob on the red carpet, accompanied by a pair of sparkly earrings that spotlighted the shorter length. She then did what must have been a quick hair change, because she proceeded to host the show with long locks — including popping up on stage for an opening monologue and performance shortly after her walk in front of the cameras.

With some darker roots still visible, Clarkson's lighter hair hue can't be considered an all-over color, but the highlights are so closely woven together, in such thin slices, that it's a close second. It was a good call for someone with a busy schedule who might not have been able to get regular touch-ups; the purposefully darker tones offered a more graceful grow-out for the singer.

It's not always easy to tell when someone has extensions, but we think it's safe to say that Kelly Clarkson borrowed some extra length for the NFL Honors show in 2023. Texas-born, the singer is a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys football team, and went the extra mile to show her support when she showed up to host the event. Her full-length skirt was patched with the names of Cowboys players, while the top half was a sparkling version of the team jersey. To top off the special-occasion look, Clarkson went with an extra-special tress vibe. 

Still sticking with darker roots, the "Love So Soft" singer's long lengths were all blond, a combination of highlights and lowlights in soft platinum, honey-gold, and light amber. The sleek style waterfalled down over her shoulders, beyond her chest, and even extended several inches beyond her waistline.

Clarkson often wears her hair below her shoulders, but this lock look was an extreme for her with all its extended glory. It was a great way to accentuate a one-of-a-kind outfit without detracting from it, and she wore the length with confidence. It's a little long for everyday, though, and we love seeing her in curls and waves — a silhouette that's much harder to achieve with too-long tresses.