Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 10/16/2012 at 4:44 PM News

The Popdust Files: catch my breath, greatest hits, kelly clarkson, upcoming compilations

We reported a couple weeks ago that Kelly Clarkson was closing the book on Chapter One of her career with her first greatest hits effort—aptly titled Greatest Hits — Chapter One. That Hits comp (due Nov. 19th) now has a tracklist, so we can debate over which Greats (if any) were excluded, anticipate running orders, and just remember what a damn good decade it’s been for Kells since she laid Justin Guarini to rest back in 2002:

1. Since U Been Gone
2. My Life Would Suck Without You
3. Miss Independent
4. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)
5. Behind These Hazel Eyes
6. Because Of You
7. Never Again
8. Already Gone
9. Mr. Know It All
10. Breakaway
11. Don’t You Wanna Stay (with Jason Aldean)
12. Walk Away
13. Catch My Breath
14. People Like Us
15. Don’t Rush (featuring Vince Gill)
16. A Moment Like This
17. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Well, the set is unsurprisingly short on tracks from My December, Kelly’s semi-disastrous third album (and first from out under Clive Davis’ thumb), and has a couple minor exclusions with the absent likes of “I Do Not Hook Up,” “All I Ever Wanted” and “Dark Side,” but the only real snub we’d consider unjust would be “The Trouble With Love Is,” Kelly’s excellent Thankful ballad, most memorable for its prominent use in the Ben-Hur of romantic comedies, Love Actually. Still, generally a pretty sound tracklist, and one that should make for a fun listen.

Helping the hits set’s case is the album’s lead single, the excellent “Catch My Breath.” If you haven’t given this song a listen yet, you really should—it’s one of her best singles yet, catchy and gripping and unmistakably Kells. It’s already #8 on the iTunes chart and deserves to (and probably will) go even higher—a single worthy of Pink’s bonus-single-off-a-GH sterling example “Raise Your Glass.” Also, “People Like Us”? Don’t think we know that one, so hopefully it’s pretty good too.

[RyanSeacrest]