Wanting to stray from those, she collaborated with a range of new songwriters and producers such as Dr. Luke, Max Martin, John Shanks, Kara DioGuardi, and with former Evanescence members Ben Moody and David Hodges.

It received a positive response from music critics, with many commending the album's new-found pop rock sound and Clarkson's vocal performances.

In the Uniteed States, it debuted and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, staying on the top twenty of the chart for over a year due to the continued success of its singles.

It eventually was certified 6× multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of more than six million copies.

[3][4] She had also expressed intentions to record with Fantasia Barrino, who had then just won the series' third season; both were expected to release their albums in the same month.

He mentioned "I always encourage people to write their own songs, but in the pop arena, where the career is totally dependent on hits, you get skeptical.

Artists with great voices like Melissa Manchester and Taylor Dayne could have had much longer careers if they didn't insist on writing their own material.

"[9] In February 2004, Clarkson met with musicians Ben Moody and David Hodges, who had just departed from their band Evanescence in late 2003.

[6] Davis wanted Clarkson to record the songs, describing them having "a sharp rock edge but were still capable of being pop hits.

"[6] Martin insisted that the songs should be given to rock acts, wanting to stray from his reputation for producing pop singles for the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears in the 1990s.

Davis recalled, "Max was looking to move on from what he had done with Backstreet Boys, and I really spent time convincing them that an American Idol winner could bring all the feeling and passion that was required to the song.

[6] Clarkson then asserted that she wanted it to be on the record and claimed that Davis had detested "Because of You" instead,[14] saying that she "was a shitty writer (sic) who should be grateful for the gifts that he bestows upon her".

"[4] She described the music of the second album as "like the first CD in the sense that it's versatile, but it's more into the rock, It's more into the soulful roots, and it's just a little bit deeper, so it's pretty cool.

[17] Clarkson wrote a draft of the song after a late night talk with a friend who had hard time with her family, with Moody and Hodges providing additional writing.

[19][20][21] The New York Times columnist Jeff Leeds noted that the releases could benefit from the holiday season, but "it could also hinder their efforts to establish themselves as recording artists with distinctive personalities and the legitimacy needed for long careers.

"[19] Clive Davis reiterated that the release was intended to recede from their ties from American Idol, saying, "I'm not interested in merely souvenir sales".

Davis positioned her to be RCA's top global priority, and at the recommendation of The Firm, removed American Idol from her official biography.

[1] Clarkson, along with Studdard and Barrino, hosted a television musical special on the Fox Broadcasting Company entitled Kelly, Ruben & Fantasia: Home for Christmas on November 25, 2004.

AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine, who gave it four out of five stars, wrote "what gives Breakaway its spine are the driving, anthemic pop tunes, numbers that sound simultaneously mainstream and youthful, which is a hard trick to pull off" and describing the tracks as the ones that illustrate Clarkson as a rare thing in the 2000s: "a pop singer who's neither hip nor square, just solidly and enjoyably in the mainstream.

"[47] Sputnikmusic's Dave Donnelly gave it a "4" rating, remarking that "Breakaway is not a Thriller to her Off The Wall by no means, but she has at least created a rare type of album: a one that offers a full selection of potential singles, reminiscent of Michael Jackson's Bad or Thriller, which he described as having a mass appeal with artistic integrity and perceived longevity.

"[55] Raymond Fiore of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B" rating, noting its rock direction and describing it as "Avril-meets-Evanescence, with a splash of Pat Benatar.

"[49] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave Breakaway a three-and-a-half star rating and commented that "though her rocky leanings were hinted at on the less coherent Thankful[53] Charles Merwin wrote for Stylus Magazine that the album's probable non-singles still maintain a quality "high enough to quell worries about the "I love the singles, but that's all I really need to hear" arguments."

He described Clarkson as ranking somewhere at the top of her class as far as rock albums go among the teen pop set, saying that she "has a long way to go before we'll ever feel comfortable calling her anything besides an American Idol, but for now she has a sound that seems believable enough to support her considerable chops.

Shirley Halperin of Rolling Stone offered a mixed review by giving the album a three-star rating and saying "Clarkson isn't ready for her new sound."

"[52] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian gave it a two-star rating, saying that "the title track expresses Clarkson's novel desire to "spread my wings and learn to fly", but settles into a catchy enough rut at times.

[74][75] Billboard director Geoff Mayfield noted the lackluster performance may have been caused by being released in a competitive holiday market.

[19][93] Clive Davis recalled that "with the songs "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes", we were able to take Clarkson to a major seller of albums all over the world where they had never even heard of American Idol.

[96] According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "the turning point for Idol's credibility may have been the success of Clarkson's sophomore album, released in 2004.

But her hard-rocking second disc, which contained smashes like "Since U Been Gone" and the ballad "Because of You", garnered her critical acclaim and made her a bonafide success apart from Idol.

[11] Dr. Luke, who was the house band lead guitarist for Saturday Night Live at the time of Breakaway's release, has credited "Since U Been Gone" as his first big break.