“Mine” is literally what you get when a broken heart starts to sing. Said to be inspired by her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, “Mine” is about finding yourself in the kind of situation that leaves you questioning why you committed to a relationship in the first place.
Clarkson first teased a snippet of the song to massive positive reception on April 4. A few days later, she would go on to sing GAYLE’s hit song “ABCDEFU,” but with a slight change in the lyrics to reflect the pains caused by her divorce, even notably taking a potshot at the settlement. “Forget you and your dad / And the fact you got half,” Clarkson sang on the Thursday segment of the Kelly Clarkson Show, adding, “And my broken heart / Turned that shit into art.” “Mine” is one of those shits she turned into art.
Written by Clarkson, Erick Serna, and Jesse Shatkin, “Mine” is one of two songs released by the award-winning singer to tease her upcoming album “Chemistry.” In a truly relatable line for anyone who unfortunately overstayed their welcome in a toxic relationship, Clarkson sings, “Can’t believe I let you in, I can’t believe I stayed / As long as I stayed” in the first verse. Before the chorus comes on, Clarkson kind of wishes her ex would run into another person who would cause his heart to break as hard as hers did.
“Go ahead and break my hеart, that’s fine (So unkind) / Eternal sunshine of thе spotless mind (Oh, love is blind),” she sings in the chorus, with the instrumentals growing heavier and her voice expertly complementing it with her amazing strength and control. “Why am I missin’ you tonight? (Was it all a lie?) / Someone’s gonna show you how a heart can be used / Like you did mine.”
The second verse is a continuation of the grieve she tries so hard to understand and overcome, as she sings, “And now I second guess my thoughts every step I take / I’m losin’ hope in love and I’ve lost all in faith / Yeah, for a dreamer, I just close my eyes and it’s all blank.”
Clarkson worked on Chemistry – out June 23 – over a three-year period, with the songs reflecting different stages of her life, from the high points to the lows. Speaking on the record, she says, “Having chemistry with someone is an incredible, and overwhelming, feeling. It’s like you have no choice in the matter. You are just drawn to each other. This can be good and bad. This album takes you down every path that chemistry could lead you down.”