Kelly Clarkson Riled By Taylor Swift Defense That Slams "American Idol" Singers

Taylor Swift's label head jumped to her defense today, telling the press Swift's Grammy-night performance may not have been note-perfect, but it captured why the 20-year-old is the "voice of a generation." Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta went on to say, "This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."

His comments about Idol riled Season One champion Kelly Clarkson, who immediately responded in an open letter on her I Am Kelly blog. "Thank you for that 'Captain Obvious' sense of humor because you know what, we not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the 'right' notes as well," Clarkson wrote. She signed her post "One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes." Clarkson has two Grammy wins under her belt, and songwriting credits on some of her biggest hits, including "Because of You" and "Already Gone."

Look back at the 2010 Grammys' big moments in photos.

Writing that she too has experienced off-nights in the post titled "Scott Borchetta" (just in case there was any confusion who it was addressed to), Clarkson added, "Instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your 'humble' opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won't go according to plan or work out and that's okay." Swift — who recently toured with an American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler — won four Grammys at Sunday night's ceremony, but news of her victories has since been overshadowed by criticism that she sang off-key during her three-song performance, which featured cameos with Stevie Nicks and Butch Walker.

Kelly Clarkson's journey from Idol to stardom.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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