Kelly Clarkson closed out her daytime talk show with a performance of the KPop Demon Hunters hit ‘Golden’, bringing her seven-season run to an end on Monday, August 31. The former American Idol winner sang the song with her house band My Band Y’all during the final episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, pulling off the track’s demanding high note to applause from the studio audience.
According to Variety, ‘Golden’ was the most requested song for the show’s signature Kellyoke segment, in which Clarkson covers famous tracks. Over the years, her interpretations of songs by Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, and The Smiths have drawn attention on social media. The Kelly Clarkson Show debuted in 2019 and has since aired more than 1,000 episodes, winning 22 Daytime Emmy awards along the way.
Clarkson announced in February that the show’s seventh season would be its last. In a statement at the time, she said that stepping away from the daily schedule would allow her to prioritize her children, describing the move as necessary for the next chapter of her family’s life. Her decision came months after the death of her ex-husband and former manager Brandon Blackstock last August.
The final episode drew reactions from fellow entertainers, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kristin Chenoweth, who praised Clarkson’s performance. The song itself comes from KPop Demon Hunters, a title that has become a global phenomenon since its release last year. It is currently Netflix’s most-watched film of all time, with sequels and a live show in development. Art books and a Criterion Collection Blu-ray are available for pre-order.
In a separate development, Christian metal band Demon Hunter has sued Netflix over the planned global live tour featuring the KPop Demon Hunters characters, claiming the production infringes on their copyright. The lawsuit adds a legal wrinkle to the franchise’s expansion, though it did not affect Clarkson’s farewell performance.