Sony

After a year of delays and a handful of Internet leaks, Kelly Clarkson is finally getting ready to release her next album, ‘Stronger’ — and she kicked things off Tuesday, when she debuted the set’s first single, ‘Mr. Know It All.’

The song was unveiled via a live premiere at Kelly’s official site, but if you missed it, don’t worry: she’s thoughtfully kept it up for your listening pleasure — and posted the lyrics, too, so you can read along while you celebrate her return.

Produced by Brian Kennedy and written by Kennedy, along with Brett James, Ester Dean, and Dante Jones, ‘Mr. Know It All’ is a midtempo celebration of independence from a no-good scoundrel. “You ain’t got the right to tell me / When and where to go,” she sings, “Acting like you own me lately / You don’t know a thing about me.”

Kennedy, whose previous credits include work for Rihanna (‘Disturbia’) and Chris Brown (‘Should’ve Kissed You’), opted for a balanced approach to the track, mixing acoustic guitars in with the song’s layered programmed beat, keyboards, and Clarkson’s stacks of vocals on the soaring chorus. Sonically, it calls to mind earlier hits like ‘Since U Been Gone.’

‘Mr. Know It All’ will be available to purchase from digital retailers on September 5, with ‘Stronger’ scheduled for an October 25 release.

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