What's The Real Meaning Of Mine By Kelly Clarkson? Here's What We Think

In Kelly Clarkson's song "Mine," the singer gives fans a glimpse into her messy divorce from Brandon Blackstock. Clarkson, who was married to Blackstock for seven years, filed for divorce back in June 2020, per Us Weekly. She had an extremely tough time dealing with the breakup, as she told USA Today, "I was very, very angry. I know a lot of people have gone through grief or a big tragedy like a divorce and I know it's a common thing, unfortunately. But there's nothing common when you're going through it. It's very foreign, it's horrible."

Like many artists, Clarkson poured her pain into her music. In June 2023, she released her tenth studio album, "Chemistry," which features her hit single "Mine." The star displays her powerful vocals on the cathartic pop track. Clarkson doesn't hold back, letting her innermost thoughts and emotions spill out in each line. "Mine" is clearly close to Clarkson's heart, but what is the actual meaning of the song?

"Mine" sheds light on Kelly Clarkson's emotional journey following a bad breakup. In fact, the entire album was inspired by her split from Brandon Blackstock. She told Variety, "But then the whole divorce thing happened, and I needed to write it. And then I didn't know if I was going to release it, because you can be very angry in that state of mind." She further explained that the album follows the stages of a relationship and contains a range of emotions. In "Mine," she displays her anger and bitterness once the relationship is over.

From the beginning of the song, it's clear that Clarkson's world was turned upside down by this romance. The betrayal had a profound impact on her, and she wanted her ex-husband to experience the same painful heartache she did. Clarkson conveys that she was blindsided, singing, "I hope one day someone will take your heart and hold it tight / Make you feel like you're invincible deep inside / And right when you think that it's perfect, they cross a line / And steal your shine / Like you did mine." 

What lyrics like that, Clarkson eschewed subtlety and instead laid it on the line for her listeners.

As Kelly Clarkson articulates her feelings about her breakup, she references a popular film. She sings, "Go ahead and break my heart, that's fine / (So unkind) / Eternal sunshine of thе spotless mind / (Oh, love is blind)." In the 2004 romantic drama "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," a former couple goes through a procedure that expunges memories of each other and their relationship. In an interview on "The Howard Stern Show," Clarkson pointed out that the movie's mention alludes to compartmentalizing the rocky split.

While the lyrics of "Mine" express anger and resentment, Clarkson doesn't wish ill upon her former partner at the end of the day. In an appearance on "Today with Hoda & Jenna," the singer opened up about her divorce, explaining how a split can be hard on family. She shared that she wouldn't want her kids to be in the same position as her and go through a bad relationship. She said, "I would want better for them. I want better for my ex. I want better for us all."