Kelly Clarkson could barely keep it together singing a song she’d originally written for ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.

During a performance in Las Vegas last month, the singer tweaked the lyrics to “Piece by Piece” after struggling to “compartmentalize.”

• Brandon Blackstock died on Thursday (Aug. 7) after a 3-year cancer battle.
• The 48-year-old was the father of Clarkson’s two kids, River and Remington, as well as two children from a previous marriage.
• The couple divorced in 2022.

Video taken on July 26 finds Clarkson approaching the 2015 hit with more than a little trepidation. She wipes away tears and tells the crowd her emotions are embarrassing before explain why she’s changed the lyrics to “Piece by Piece” for a third time.

Kelly Clarkson, “Piece by Piece” Lyrics:

Greg Kurstin helped Clarkson write “Piece by Piece” as a note to her father, who she felt abandoned her and her family when she was young, only to later to try to crawl back into the singer’s life.

Conversely, Blackstock was a man she felt would always be there for her.

He never walks away / He never asks for money / He takes care of me / He loves me / Piece by piece, he restored my faith / That a man can be kind and a father could stay,” she sings at the chorus.

In 2023, she changed the song to be a celebration of self, thus taking Blackstock’s memory out of it. “I just walk away / when they ask for money / I take care of me / ’cause I love me …”

The 2025 version takes a little of the anger out of the lyrics.

Talking to fans in Vegas, Clarkson says she’s matured some. What fans didn’t know was that Blackstock was nearing the end of his three-year cancer battle when she performed this in late July.

“I’m learning every day how to love me / I let go of the shame that you taught me / Piece by piece, I restored the faith that a heart can still beat even if it breaks.”

Why Kelly Clarkson Broke Down Singing in Las Vegas

Clarkson has not commented since her ex-husband’s death, but the day prior she did share that she was canceling her August Las Vegas commitments to be with her children.

Fans on social media mostly agree that this particular performance was painful because she knew what was coming.

“She did this knowing Brandon’s time was coming to an end and her kid’s (sic) hearts were going to break and she would be there for them to carry them through” writes Brandi Hatfield on TikTok. “She’s an amazing person.”

Here are a few more from fans who agree:

It’s not clear how long Kelly Clarkson will take off from work, but all signs point to her TV show The Kelly Clarkson Show returning on time next month.