The phone is ringing — who could it be? Kelly Clarkson, as a matter of fact, just calling to say she loves you. The three-time Grammy winner performed a soulful cover of Stevie Wonder‘s hit “I Just Called to Say I Love You” on The Kelly Clarkson Show for its Wednesday (March 2) installment of Kellyoke.
Washed in pink and purple lights, the Voice all-star and her band Y’all did justice to Wonder’s lovey-dovey classic. Staying true to the original, the musicians pulled out the synthesizers while Clarkson’s vocals were just the right mix of strong and relaxed, creating a cocktail of grooviness so good, the show’s audience was on its feet clapping along to the beat.
“I Just Called to Say I Love You” was the lead single off Wonder’s original soundtrack for The Woman in Red, starring Gene Wilder. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1984, and remained on the chart for a total of 26 weeks, with the Woman in Red soundtrack holding onto a spot on the Billboard 200 for 40 weeks.
The “Stronger” artist has been seamlessly bouncing between genres in her recent Kellyoke covers. She’s gone full out rock ‘n’ roll for a genre-bending rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers,” showed off her honky-tonkin’ skills with a rootsy cover of Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” and soared with an electric performance of Nena’s war-themed “99 Red Balloons” — a choice that seemed to touch on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Watch Kelly Clarkson spread the love with her new Stevie Wonder cover below: