The whole room seemed to freeze the moment Kelly Clarkson stepped up to the microphone, the warm golden lights wrapping around her like sunlight on a quiet summer morning. But that soft glow had nothing on the heavy emotion of the song she was about to sing. She closed her eyes, tilted her head just a bit, and let out the first gentle notes of the Reba McEntire classic from 1994—and instantly, everything changed. Every person in the audience clung to her words as she poured her heart into each line, her voice trembling with longing and truth. It was so powerful, so honest, that even Reba herself couldn’t stay silent. The country legend caught wind of Kelly’s performance and showered her with heartfelt praise, saying exactly what everyone else was already thinking. Kelly didn’t just sing a tribute—she delivered a moment people will carry with them. If you haven’t seen her breathtaking performance yet, you can watch it below… WATCH BELOW 👇👇👇
(Inlay) Reba McEntire / YouTube / (Main Photo) The Kelly Clarkson Show / YouTube
Kelly Clarkson Honors Reba McEntire With Breathtaking “Kellyoke” Performance Of “Till You Love Me”
Reba McEntire’s “Till You Love Me” got the “Kellyoke” treatment on a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Clarkson has covered McEntire’s music many times before. One of her best covers came in 2018 when she sang “Fancy” to recognize McEntire at the Kennedy Center Honors.
McEntire said Clarkson “killed” the performance, and called her a “wonderful singer.”
Nine years prior, Clarkson delivered a chill-inducing cover of McEntire’s “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” at one of her concerts.
Clarkson and McEntire share a special bond. On top of being good friends, they’re family, in a sense.
McEntire was previously married to Narvel Blackstock, the father of Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. Clarkson once said she considered McEntire to be a “rad grandma” to her two children.
That close connection makes Clarkson’s covers of McEntire’s songs extra meaningful.
Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire at the ACM Awards in 2018. Jeff Kravitz / ACMA2018 / FilmMagic for ACM
The History Behind “Till He Loves Me”
During a 2024 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson covered another of McEntire’s greatest songs, “Till He Loves Me.”
“Till He Loves Me” was released in October 1994 as the third single from McEntire’s album Read My Mind. Bob DiPiero and Gary Burr co-wrote the emotional track.
The song reached the #2 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. It was also McEntire’s first song to cross over to the all-genre Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at the 78th position.
McEntire’s official music video for “Till He Loves Me” originated from her 1994 NBC special Reba: Live!, which was filmed in Omaha, Nebraska. Today, the video has over 3.1 million views on YouTube alone.
Fans React To Kelly’s Rendition Of Reba’s Song
Clarkson was only 12 years old when “Till You Love Me” debuted. She grew up listening to the song and the rest of McEntire’s music.
Those who watched Clarkson perform “Till You Love Me” on The Kelly Clarkson Show could tell how much she cares about the song. They left complimentary comments such as:
