Clay's first CD, Measure of a Man (Number One, Top 200), went triple platinum selling more than 613,000 copies in its first week. Including singles like "Invisible", "The Way," "I Will Carry You" and the Neil Sedaka cover "Solitaire," it was the subject of conflicting reviews. Billboard Magazine called it the best pop album of 2003. Many fans and some critics recognized and admired the pure pop sound ("so pure it floats") and top-notch production values while others heard only a manufactured sound, noting that the singer hadn't earned his musical chops but "merely" sang his way to the hearts of millions on television, a perceived unjust leap-frogging of "the true path of the true artist."
Aiken fronted a country band, Just By Chance, pre-Idol and recorded 3 demo CDs. As a young man he was a member of the Raleigh Boy's Choir and was in numerous musical productions in North Carolina Theater.
The National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation) was launched in 2003, supporting the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their non-disabled peers. In November 2004, Clay was appointed as a National Ambassador for UNICEF, with a mission to help ensure that children everywhere are afforded a primary education.
In November 2004, Clay released Merry Christmas With Love (Number One, Top 200). His first Christmas album, it went platinum, won 2 Billboard Music Awards and spurred a yearly holiday tour and a follow-up EP, All Is Well - Songs for Christmas. 2004 was also the year Clay made #2 on the New York Times Best Seller List with his "inspirational memoir" titled Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life.
His next studio album, 2006's A Thousand Different Ways (Number Two, Top 200), was, through the direction of mega-producer Clive Davis, largely a covers CD. Ten of the fourteen cuts being well known melodic pop songs ranging from Richard Marx, Bryan Adams, Dolly Parton, Mister Mister, and Elton John. Two other songs, available only on digital versions of the album, are "If You Don't Know Me By Now" (through K-Mart.com) and "Lover All Alone" (through iTunes and co-written by Aiken himself). Many fans have wondered about the relative exclusion of the latter song, left languishing from the song list present on the physical CD, as its intimate emotional material and Aiken's own writing handiwork produce a spellbinding effect.
In May of 2008 Aiken released On My Way Here (Number Four, Top 200), his first album of original material since his 2003 chart-topping debut Measure of A Man. While searching for songs for this album, he fell in love with a song written by OneRepublic front man Ryan "Alias" Tedder called "On My Way Here." The message of the lyrics -- how the lessons we learn while growing up shape us into who we become as adults -- struck such a deep chord with Clay that it wound up inspiring the theme (and title) of his new collection. In addition to enlisting Grammy-Award winning British songwriter and producer Kipper, On My Way Here also included the talented musicians of none other then the Steely Dan band.
A fifth album, The Very Best of Clay Aiken, was released at the end of March 2009 on Sony's Legacy Recordings Playlist Series.
To date, Aiken has headlined 8 tours., one of them co-headlining with Kelly Clarkson.
Aiken made his Broadway debut playing the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot in January 2008. His first run ended in May. He rejoined the cast as Sir Robin in September and remained through January 4, 2009.
In August of 2008 Clay became a father to Parker Foster Aiken with producer Jaymes Foster, the sister of record producer David Foster.
Clay will release a brand new album, titled "Tried and True", on June 1, 2010 on the Decca Records label.
Clay also has made numerous TV appearances, guest-starring on everything from Scrubs to Days of Our Lives to the season finale of the popular show 30 Rock. He has earned a place on such talk-shows as Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, Tyra Banks, Rachel Ray, Ellen and has cooked with both Martha Stewart and Paula Deen.
Though clearly, based on his television and concert appeal, a performing artist whose live presentations show consummate showmanship, bringing surprising dynamism to studio songs, Aiken has had to endure a persistent hammering from entertainment critics and a tenacious (not to say malevolent) interest on the part of some in the media relating to questions about his personal life.
Always full of surprises, fans look forward to the continued ways in which this multi-talented artist expresses himself and uses his voice in ways that will expand his appeal in and beyond the US.
All About Love
Clay Aiken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Conferences, retreats and seminars
We've got books and magazines to read on everything from A to Z
And a web to surf from anywhere we are
But I hope with all this information buzzing through our brains
That we will not let our hearts forget the most important thing
Is love, love, love, love, love
Everything else comes down to this
Nothing any higher on the list than love
It's all about love
Now they're fighting in the middle east
And they're fighting down on Seventh Street
And there are fights in my own house on given days
It's like something's lurking deep inside
Can't seem to be satisfied
But life was not meant to be lived this way
'Cause it's true for every man and woman
Every boy and girl
That our only hope for living here together in this world
Is love, love, love, love, love
It's all about love, love, love, love, love
Everything else comes down to this
Nothing any higher on the list than love
This is the reason we were made
To know the love of our Creator
And to give the love He's given us away
Yeah, the Maker, and the Father, and the God of everything
He says to love, love, love
He says love, love, love
Love, love, love
'Cause after all, it's all about love
Gods says love, love, love, love, love
It's all about love, love, love, love, love
Everything else comes down to this
Nothing any higher on the list than love
'Cause after all, it's all about love
That's right, yeah (laugh)
Woo!
It's all about, yea yea
It's all about
All about love, love, love, love, love
It's all about love, love, love
After all don't you know?
That it really all comes down to love
After all don't you know that
Gonna tell you what it's all about, yeah
Yeah, it's all about love
Yeah, it's all about love, yeah
It's all about love,
Love, love, love
The lyrics of the song "All About Love" by Clay Aiken emphasize the importance of love in our lives. The song mentions various sources of information, such as CDs, videos, radio, TV shows, conferences, books, and the internet, that we have at our disposal today. Regardless of how much information we may have access to, the song reminds us that the most important thing is love. Love is the foundation of all our relationships, and it's what keeps us connected and united.
The song touches upon some of the challenges we face in life, such as conflicts in the Middle East, fights in our own homes, and the lack of satisfaction. It suggests that what we need is love to overcome these challenges. The chorus of the song repeats the refrain "It's all about love" five times to emphasize the significance of love.
In conclusion, the song "All About Love" is a simple yet meaningful reminder of the importance of love in our lives. It's not just an emotion but the very essence of our existence. Love is what connects us all and helps us navigate through the complexities of life.
Line by Line Meaning
We've got CD sets and videos, radio and TV shows
We have plenty of resources for information and entertainment in various formats such as CDs, videos, radio and TV shows.
Conferences, retreats and seminars
There are events such as conferences, retreats and seminars for different purposes and themes.
We've got books and magazines to read on everything from A to Z
We have a vast variety of books and magazines covering topics from basic to advanced in every aspect.
And a web to surf from anywhere we are
With the internet, we have access to vast amounts of information and resources from anywhere we are.
But I hope with all this information buzzing through our brains
Amidst this information overload, I hope we don't forget the essence and importance of what truly matters.
That we will not let our hearts forget the most important thing
It's essential that we don't get so carried away with other things that we forget about the most important thing.
Is love, love, love, love, love
The most important thing is love, expressed multiple times to highlight its significance.
It's all about love, love, love, love, love
The song emphasizes that at the end of the day, everything comes down to love.
Everything else comes down to this
Ultimately, everything else revolves around this one thing - love.
Nothing any higher on the list than love
There's nothing that takes precedence over love; it's on the top of the list.
Now they're fighting in the middle east
Amidst global events such as war, there is a feeling of unrest and conflict.
And they're fighting down on Seventh Street
There are fights, arguments and disagreements even at the local level.
And there are fights in my own house on given days
Even at a personal level, there can be disagreements and tension in one's household.
It's like something's lurking deep inside
There's a sense of unease, as if there's a deep-seated dissatisfaction that's causing these conflicts.
Can't seem to be satisfied
It's difficult to find satisfaction amidst all this chaos.
But life was not meant to be lived this way
These conflicts and fights aren't what life is meant to be about.
'Cause it's true for every man and woman
This applies to every human being, regardless of their gender or other personal identifiers.
Every boy and girl
This applies to children as well, emphasizing the universal nature of this message.
That our only hope for living here together in this world
The only way to build a better world is to love each other, and that's our only hope.
Is love, love, love, love, love
Once again, highlighting the importance of love.
This is the reason we were made
The reason for our existence is directly related to love.
To know the love of our Creator
Part of our purpose is to experience the love of a higher power.
And to give the love He's given us away
We are meant to pass on this love to others, just as it was passed on to us.
Yeah, the Maker, and the Father, and the God of everything
Referring to a higher power, who is responsible for creating and overseeing everything.
He says to love, love, love
This message is echoed by a higher authority, urging us to love one another unconditionally.
After all, it's all about love
Once again, reiterating that love is what truly matters in this world.
Contributed by Xavier C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
starfishy2000
omg I love this song from the IT!!! My favorite part is at the 1:15 mark where he does the moves with Q, J and A!! Such a ham, and what a voice!!!
lvnc25
O.M.G. You did my favorite song from the IT..It's All About Love. What a cutie he was then and still is. Just love him!