All I Ever Wanted is the fourth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on March 6, 2009, by RCA Records.

Originally entitled Masquerade, its title was changed due to the similarities to those of other albums released at the same time, such as Pink's Funhouse (2008) and Britney Spears's Circus (2008).

The album was also a success, debuting at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming her second to do so, and peaking inside the top-ten in more than ten countries.

Its second single, "I Do Not Hook Up", fared well, though it was moderate in some countries, while the third, "Already Gone", was more successful but faced controversies due to its similarity to Beyoncé's "Halo"; both co-written and produced by Tedder.

[14] Tedder explained to Digital Spy that the songs featured "big choruses" and "heavy drum programming" and were influenced by nineties electro-rockers Garbage.

[15] She also worked for the first time with Howard Benson, claiming she was a big fan of him and his production with many artists such as Daughtry, stating that she loved the way he produced and how he captured how she sounds live.

"[16] She also worked again with songwriter Kara DioGuardi, who co-wrote several tracks on Breakaway,[1] and received two songs co-written by Katy Perry.

James Montgomery of MTV News noted that the album has "unabashed pop, big crunchy guitar chords and tear-tinged ballads,"[19] while Evan Sawdey of PopMatters noted that "[t]hough some of the post-breakup bitterness of My December still lingers here, All I Ever Wanted remains a remarkably upbeat record.

"[2] The first track, "My Life Would Suck Without You", was considered an explicit sequel to "Since U Been Gone",[22][2][21] having a mainstream dance/guitar-pop sound, with thumping synths and guitar riffs.

[20] "I Do Not Hook Up" was named a "punchy, spunky pop stormer",[2] while "Long Shot" was dubbed a "string-infused rocker";[23] both songs were originally demos from Katy Perry.

[19] "Don't Let Me Stop You" was called an "arena rocker track"[22] and compared to her single "Behind These Hazel Eyes", due to the use of the same chord progression.

[20] Lyrically, All I Ever Wanted talks generally about romantic relationships— the good, the bad and the dysfunctional[29] —with Clarkson defining it as "pretty personal".

[14] Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times noted that the album "provides her faithful female fans with a solid group of anthems and introspective moments expressing dignity, independence and emotional truthfulness.

[27] "Whyyawannabringmedown" finds Clarkson singing, "I'm not your love monkey, so be takin' back all of the lies you sold,"[33] "Long Shot" "acknowledges the risk involved with a new romantic endeavor",[29] and with "Impossible" she admits: "I will stumble and I'll make my own mistakes, yeah/But I won't worry 'bout it anymore.

"[24] "I Want You" finds the singer "swooning over a hot-tempered, noncommunicative guy," who is "such a mess with an attitude,"[31] and "If No One Will Listen" ends with Clarkson "encouraging a struggling friend, [herself or anyone else], to relinquish pent-up fears.

As Rolling Stone's Daniel Kreps described, "the cover depicts a shiny, happy Clarkson, one ready to step out of the shadows of the brooding My December and reclaim her pop throne.

"[38] The album's first single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", had its artwork revealed on January 5, 2009, and it shows "Clarkson sporting a wide-eyed [...] look and a heart-shaped lollipop.

Kahn was dissatisfied with the end result of the video, which shows Clarkson "singing in various luxurious locations while violins play themselves.

[63] The singer performed the album's first single "My Life Would Suck Without You" on the eighth season of American Idol on March 11, 2009.

[64] Clarkson also performed "My Life Would Suck Without You" and the album's second single "I Do Not Hook Up" on the 34th season of Saturday Night Live on March 14, 2009.

[65] The singer also promoted the album on Walmart Soundcheck on March 18, 2009, performing "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "I Do Not Hook Up", as well as her older hits "Since U Been Gone", "Because of You" and "Walk Away".

[66] On March 20, 2009, she also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to give an interview and perform a medley of "Because of You", "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "My Life Would Suck Without You".

[88] Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times called it "a masterful rapprochement with the mainstream, full of cheerfully ear-snagging tunes, inventive production, exhilarating vocals and enough inherent Kelly-ness to put aside fears that her label bosses implanted blond electrodes in her brain to make her behave.

"[28] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe observed that the singer is "learning to strike the age-old pop music balance that her hired hands perfected in the past, [...] expressing emotional truth while crafting something that sounds good on the radio.

Freedom du Lac of The Washington Post called it "one of those rare pop albums that should resonate with the mainstream while also generating critical heat.

"[87] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic recognized that she "sounds impassioned and invested in these numbers, selling every one of the skyscraper hooks, but better still she sounds relatable, pulling listeners into a song instead of keeping them at a distance," observing that "while it's not perfect, largely due to those dreary Tedder tunes, much of All I Ever Wanted does justice to Clarkson's considerable skills.

"[22] Elle J Small of BBC Music declared that the album "won't disappoint hardcore fans but is unlikely to garner new listeners,"[91] a sentiment echoed by Vibe's Claire Lobenfeld, who wrote that it "will be a hit with Clarkson die-hards, but is unlikely to influence any Top 40 outsiders.

"[92] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters noticed that "[t]hough All I Ever Wanted is not a classic pop album by any means, it's most assuredly a fun one—flaws and all.

"[20] In a more mixed review, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone admitted that "Clarkson's sense of grievance, inflated to gargantuan size by her huge voice, can be wearying over 14 songs, particularly when the music sags.

But whatever her army of producers and legion of co-writers may have brought to the project in terms of radio-ready pop hooks, there's just too much tone and subtext to her performances here—and hell, even consider the record's title—that betrays Clarkson's ironic take on the whole affair.