Kelly Clarkson begins Vegas residency, apologizes for canceling before

Kelly Clarkson is once again proving that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

After taking a little extra time to rest up, the three-time Grammy winner kicked off her Las Vegas residency with a bang on Friday night. Her performance at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace comes one week after Clarkson abruptly postponed her opening-weekend show just 90 minutes before she was expected to take the stage.

During the July 11 performance, Clarkson addressed the incident, apologizing to fans for the last-minute change of plans.

“It took me a minute. I’m so sorry,” she told the crowd in a video shared on TikTok. “I know some of y’all had tickets for last weekend’s shows. I’m so sorry. We can’t help our bodies sometimes. You know, we get sick, and that happens.”

She continued, “But thank y’all for showing up. We are so excited. This is my favorite residency — my favorite show I’ve ever put together, because I love being in the studio.”

Later in the night, Clarkson took a shot of tequila with an audience member and quipped, “I’m celebrating because I had to cancel last weekend. I cried. I was so sick. It sucked. I’m so happy to be here!”

A week ago, Clarkson caught fans off guard when she announced she would be postponing her opening shows.

“The prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice,” Clarkson said in a statement. “I want the shows to be perfect for y’all, and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage, so I am taking this weekend and next week to rest up so that we can deliver what you all deserve.”

Adding that she was “devastated” but wanted the residency “to start out strong,” Clarkson said the following weekend would mark the premiere of it instead.

Fittingly dubbed Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions, the residency shows presents the American Idol alum surrounded on stage by her band to mimic an actual day in a music studio while she performs songs old and new. On Friday, Clarkson belted out such hits as “Since U Been Gone” and “My Life Would Suck Without You,” in addition to some deeper cuts like “Sober” and “Tight Rope.”

Clarkson also performed “Piece by Piece,” offering a lengthy introduction to the 2015 single that gave fans insight into her decision to alter the lyrics after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.

“I wrote it (when) I was feeling a type of way, and hoping more than (anything). And then, I changed it a couple summers ago,” Clarkson told the crowd. “I was like, ‘I gotta sing it ’cause people kept asking for it.’ But it just didn’t feel right.”

She continued, “I’ve never had a song that (was) rewritten three times. But sometimes you can’t sing it how you wrote it because it’s not honest. And you’re sad. And then you start to wonder if that’s how the song should’ve been written in the first place.”

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Clarkson went on to sing the tweaked version of “Piece by Piece,” which she has been performing for the past two years. While the original track details Clarkson’s difficult relationship with her absent father and how her relationship with Blackstock helped her heal, the altered version sees the singer take ownership over her healing journey, crediting self-love instead.

Sixteen performances of Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions are scheduled through Nov. 15. She has not announced new dates yet for the postponed July 4 and July 5 shows.