| "Dark Side" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Kelly Clarkson | ||||
| from the album Stronger | ||||
| Released | June 5, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 Echo Recording Studios (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 3:44 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Greg Kurstin | |||
| Kelly Clarkson singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Dark Side" on YouTube | ||||
"Dark Side" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, written by busbee and Alexander Geringas, and produced by Greg Kurstin. The song was released by RCA Records on June 5, 2012 as the third and final single from Clarkson's fifth studio album, Stronger (2011). "Dark Side" is a mid-tempo synth-pop ballad that incorporates a vigorous music box melody with up-tempo beats in choruses, with its lyrics containing the theme of acceptance, recovery, and inner-beauty.
"Dark Side" has received generally positive reviews from music critics who considered the song as a good successor to "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)", Clarkson's previous single. Critics also praised Clarkson's vocal performance blending with the song's melody. It became her second consecutive song to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Shane Drake, who also directed "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" and premiered on May 24, 2012 with positive reviews. It was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Message at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. Clarkson has performed "Dark Side" during several live appearances, most notably during the 2012 Billboard Music Awards and included the song as the opening performance in the set list during the North American leg of her Stronger Tour.