Beautiful Essay By CorieLuvzClay - "There's Something About Us"

There's no doubt that Clay's newest CD, On My Way Here, is much loved by the fans, as some others who are not fans. But especially, of course, the fans. Clay has chosen songs for this CD that speak right from his heart. Some, he has said, are more personal than others. But all speak of a journey where pain, growing, maturity, and love have taken place. This CD, in my estimation, is nothing less than amazing and incredibly inspiring, not to mention just lots of fun to listen to!!

In the past, CorieLuvzClay has written some beautiful and inspiring essays about Clay, and we have published them in Clay's Daily Double. Once again, she has outdone herself with some beautiful words about the CD. I trust her essay will encourage and inspire you as it did me.

There’s Something About Us

Hauntingly beautiful, a balmy, honey coated voice wrapped in velvet, lazily drizzles this sweet confection over our senses! He’s back, the one whose voice we came for, the man we stayed for. Clay Aiken, pours his heart out in a new CD filled with songs that make you cry, make you sigh, make you think and reminisce about what was, what is, and might have been and what yet still could be.

There is a feeling of old world romance that exudes from Something About Us. It emits a dreamy, lazy sentiment of love affairs and amour…at most it makes you want that kind of love, at least it woos you. A sweet, old fashioned sensation of passion and ambiance, a particular persuasion toward fanciful, Something About Us wraps you up in it’s arms and holds you in a gentle embrace that’s filled with a promise of tomorrow.

In another sense, Something About Us takes me in a second direction and speaks to me about the love affair between us, Clay and us…he is the Romeo to all of our Juliets in this ardent relationship we share. Stop the music, play the song and we’ll dance together all night long…Clay has slow danced with a few of us over the years and with a spotlight glowing to add to the palpable rapture of the evening. Time and time again, no matter what transpires in the interim, the moment we are all reunited again in concert, the love pours out from him to us and from us to him…our eyes twinkle at one another, our voices raised in merriment and in song. He sings to us and we sing right back to him…we simply love each other.

People smile when they walk by, there’s too much magic to deny…indeed, the world is looking at us, pondering what in the world we see in Clay Aiken, ruminating about what makes us tick, furthermore…brooding over what made us click…us and Clay…they can mull it over, speculate & contemplate and chew on it ‘til the end of time, but they’ll never get it…they just don’t have the right stuff within! Yet, we have snagged their interest, they smile and even laugh at the gatherings outside of studios where Clay is performing, or the countless concerts we attend…most recently we lovingly clobbered The Great White Way with our outpouring of love and support for Clay playing in Spamalot, but what set the Big Apple on it’s collective ear was the fact that the loving, passionate Clay fans, embraced an entire cast of strangers simply because Clay was now a part of them…they experienced what it’s like to be Clay Aiken, to be so loved, encircled and clasped within the arms of the ClayNation. There is always, always magic when “WE” are all together again, the air fairly crackles with it!! Oh yes…there’s too much magic to deny…there’s just something about us!

You can see it in our ways, and how we spend our nights and days, a crazy laugh a photograph…we have so many memories…the nights we’ve spent at concerts, or wrapped up in blankets, sleeping on the ground waiting for the next day to begin, perhaps with a concert in Bryant Park for Good Morning America or clamoring with excitement to see Clay co-host The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet…whatever it is, we have the knack to draw a crazy laugh out of him and we have the photographs and video to prove it! We'll reminisce of moments like this 'Cause there's something about us…Yes, there's something about us.

Clay Aiken’s new CD, “On My Way Here,” speaks to the growth and development of one’s life, for Clay it would be his journey over the course of the last five years, during his twenties. For us it might mean the very same thing or have various slants dependent upon our age and circumstances.

Nonetheless, it is about the roads we’ve all traveled to arrive at the spot we occupy in life today! The CD is beautiful and touching and froth with feelings of a wounded soul maturing and coming to terms with what has brought his life to the destination it is at now. It speaks of a lonely heart and nearly tortured spirit, looking for love, a truthful, meaningful love for so, so long and wondering if it’ll ever exist for him. I was broken, A million pieces left to hold…I was frozen My heart left out in the cold…The songs bring forth a sentiment of falling and rising up higher every time you do, of fulfilling dreams and going after what you most want, even if circumstances motivate you to begin a crusade down a road less traveled, but will get you exactly what you want, exactly what you need and exactly where you are destined to be. If no one is hurt during this passage, then the end will certainly justify the means! Maybe love requires walking through the fire…To set me free, so I could rise up from the ashes.

We never question why, How truth turns into lies…There but for the Grace of God go I…

This lyrically tailored CD brings to mind something I wrote in another essay a couple of years ago…I wrote…

“A quote from Socrates comes to mind; `An Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living”…the meaning is as varied and different as each individual on the planet. The most common interpretation is that people need to stop along their journey and examine their life, their educational level, take in where you’ve been; what you have accomplished, where you want to go and what your dreams and desires are for future success and achievements. Learning, expanding your mind, perhaps quenching the thirst for knowledge beyond what you feel capable of…assessing and taking stock of your life. Then, making the necessary changes, taking the risks needed to fulfill and enhance your journey, laying your paths with blocks on which to reach your fullest potential.′”

In every way possible Clay is doing that right now, this very minute! He has taken to heart his UNICEF missions and learned first hand what hunger and ignorance mean, he has seen the very definition of devastation laid out before him, he has witnessed with his own eyes, the horror and unbelievable circumstances of a solely child targeted war…a living nightmare that has, I am sure, plagued his dreams. I wonder how many times Clay has agonized over these visions now branded to his brain, leaving indelible marks upon his heart? Sometimes it’s hard to believe, In a truth that you can’t even see…But faith holds the hope for the world…And I know, I know…There’s got to be some rhyme or reason why, We turn away and we close our eyes…If I could find some way that we could justify all of this suffering…There but for the grace of God go I!

But…no matter what…Clay Aiken is a force to be reckoned with; he has risen up from the ashes of his younger life, new and redefined. Sparkling with excitement and happiness, overflowing with confidence and a gratifying new sense of self-worth! Looking back I can see…How the voice of reason Kept reminding me, I was never good enough somehow…Try and remind me now!

In a smooth and mellifluous voice, Clay draws you in and wraps you up in melancholy and hope for the title track of the CD…On my way here, Where I am now, I’ve learned to fly…I have to want to leave the ground. I’ve fallen hard, But I’ve been loved…And in the end it all works out, My faith has conquered fear…On my way here.

In my estimation, Clay is the quintessential man…admittedly human and not perfect, a gentleman in every sense of the word and a gentle man in every sense of the term. He is also the quintessential embodiment, of Spirit. His personality has fire and humor, topped off with backbone & bravery, and so much heart. Clay is a man filled with great warmth of feeling, intense devotion and a passion for all he loves and values! He is a man of character and integrity…a man who loves his fans and never forgets he is where he is today because of the love and devotion of these fans. Clay’s fans love him in return, and we never forget how he has filled and enhanced our lives. How he has brought beautiful music back to us, how he has, without knowing at first, caused us to reach out to one another, making new lifelong friends and opened a world of travel so we could gather, celebrate & relish the triumph of a young man who had us all at the word “TAKE” on that most paramount day in Atlanta ! He loves us because he has been loved by us. Yes, there's something about us…There's just something about us…Something About Us!

***Lyrical excerpts taken from “Something About Us”, “Ashes”, “Grace of God” & “On My Way Here”.

Written By: CorieLuvzClay
June 1, 2008