After failing to prevent the song from being included on All I Ever Wanted because the track listing had already been finalized and the album was already being pressed, Clarkson then voiced her anger towards her record company bosses for subsequently deciding to release it as a single.

The accompanying music video was directed by Joseph Kahn, who complained that he was not allowed to fully realize his vision, and stated he was unhappy with the final result.

It features scenes of Clarkson dressed in a gold gown and expensive jewelry while lying on a chaise longue in an apartment.

Shots of floating objects intersperse a second scene in which Clarkson, wearing a black dress, sings in a rehearsal room while surrounded by the instruments of an invisible orchestra.

[7] The sheet music indicates that the song is set in common time and has a moderately slow tempo with a metronome of 74 beats per minute.

[8][9] The song's narrative is in first person, and depicts Clarkson telling her lover that although he has done nothing wrong in their relationship, it was never meant to be and is destined for failure.

No-one's gonna be sittin' at home, thinking 'Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to.'

Before teaming with Clarkson to write "Already Gone", Ryan Tedder had co-written Beyoncé's song "Halo" for her album I Am... Sasha Fierce.

[11] Clarkson later heard "Halo" and noticed distinct similarities between the two songs, most notably in the melancholy piano, loud drums, and handclaps in their backing tracks.

[4] Tedder responded to the allegations with a statement posted on his MySpace account, arguing that the two songs are "entirely different" and that the criticism was "hurtful and absurd".

[13] He told website Idolator that he was "absolutely livid", and added, "If I was going around and selling the same track to the biggest artists in the world, how long would my career last?

They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically, [and] lyrically and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track, the idea is both hurtful [and] absurd.

Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly said Clarkson "knows that the anguish she likes to sing about is enjoyed by millions of people as grandiose admissions of vulnerability.

There's a reason they call them power ballads: a sad song blasted at full volume is a metaphor for finding strength in pain.

"[21] His point was echoed by Danton of The Hartford Courant, who stated that Clarkson "pours on the heartache",[7] and by Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, who called the song an "extravagant ballad".

The tempo slows, and Tedder gives Clarkson's vocals a gauzy quality that synchs perfectly with the mournful lyrics.

[25] Jonathan Keefe from Slant Magazine said that "Ryan Tedder's production on 'Already Gone' is identical to Beyoncé's 'Halo' to the point of distraction, but [Already Gone] has a far stronger melody and Clarkson turns in one of her most evocative performances".

[26] Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that the lyrics are not unique or enlightening,[27] and Tedder's production on the track was disliked.

[41] The video is set primarily in an apartment and a rehearsal room and features Clarkson "lounging on chaises and lolling around while zazzed [sic] out in the sort of gowns and jewels we've yet to spot this girl-next-door pop star wearing in real life".

"[40] The video begins with Clarkson alone in an apartment wearing a gold gown, sequined elbow gloves, and a large pearl necklace, while lying on a chaise longue.

This scene alternates with a second location, where Clarkson wears a black dress, singing in a rehearsal room, surrounded by invisible members of an orchestra playing their instruments.

As the video alternates back and forth between the two locations, the scenes are interspersed with slow-motion shots of falling champagne glasses, floating pearls, and flying violins.

[42] Following its release, Kahn posted statements to his Twitter account that his vision of the video was not realized, and complained, "I don't think I won a single battle".

[51] Clarkson began promoting "Already Gone" on television by debuting it on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 13, in a live performance in which she "belted out"[52] the lyrics to the reworked arrangement.

[53] Her performance of the song at the 37th Annual American Music Awards was graded as "B+" in the Los Angeles Times, which noted that she was "solid" and "sound[ed] terrific".