‘American Idol’ notes: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina

Are you ready for the latest edition of “American Idol” notes? Let’s hope so, since we’re starting off with some exciting news: the newest song from Kelly Clarkson.

The track below is entitled “Catch My Breath,” and it is the single from the season 1 champ’s upcoming greatest hits album coming out just in time for the holiday season in November. If you know Kelly and her musical stylings, then this song is really going to feel rather familiar. The melody is pretty straightforward, and it has a sort of catchy hook that should do rather well on pop radio. We don’t know if it will be the smash that “Stronger” was earlier this year, but it’s a fun little jam that follows some of Kelly’s familiar themes of self-empowerment and not worry about some of the negativity that is out there in the world.

Really, it’s just a nostalgic feeling to know that the first-ever winner of the show now has enough music behind her to actually be able to put out an album of hits.

Now, it’s time for awards – With the American Country Awards airing on Fox December 10, this is the time when the network chooses to give some credit to artists who have managed to stand out over the course of the past year.

First things first, we have to admit that there are some things that surprise us very much about these nominations at the moment. Want an example? Let’s just wonder how Lauren Alaina is nominated for Best New Artist last year when Scotty McCreery won it last year. After all, their albums only released a few weeks apart last fall! Anyhow, Carrie Underwood’s major nominations come in Female Artist of the Year and Single of the Year (with “Good Girl”); meanwhile, Casey James also has an award for Best Music Video (New Artist) for “Let’s Don’t Call It a Night.”