Garth Brooks Cries when Kelly Clarkson sings his tune ‘The Dance’.

Country music legend Garth Brooks is one of the most successful musicians in the genre’s history, having sold over 170 million records worldwide. One of his biggest hits, and a fan favorite, is the song “The Dance.” While it has been covered by countless artists over the years, there’s one version that always gets to Brooks: Kelly Clarkson’s.

Clarkson, who first rose to fame as the inaugural winner of “American Idol” in 2002, has made no secret of her admiration for Brooks and his music. She frequently performs “The Dance” during her live shows, putting her own spin on the emotional ballad. When she performed the song on an episode of “American Idol” in 2016, Brooks was in attendance and could be seen tearing up in the audience.

In a 2017 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brooks spoke about why Clarkson’s rendition of “The Dance” moves him so deeply. “I just love her voice,” he said. “She has an amazing voice, and when she sings [‘The Dance’], she’s not trying to be anybody else. She’s just being Kelly, and that’s what music’s all about.”

Brooks went on to explain that the song, which is about taking risks and accepting the inevitable pain that comes with life, has taken on new meaning for him over the years. “I think every artist has that song that makes them go, ‘Man, I wish I’d written that,'” he said. “But as time goes on, if you’re lucky enough, you find songs that take on a different meaning every time you sing them… ‘The Dance’ has become one of those songs for me.”

YouTube URL(s): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpPMskJSb0M