Kelly Clarkson's Most Striking Hair Looks Of All Time

Kelly Clarkson's had a stunning hair transformation over her decades in the spotlight — and that's includes her fair share of bold, memorable 'dos. The "Behind These Hazel Eyes" hitmaker certainly hasn't been afraid to rock some daring hairstyles, which makes sense seeing as they're usually the amalgamation of multiple people's ideas. "The outfit plays a big part in what the hair will look like," Clarkson's hairstylist Robert Ramos told People. "It's a team effort. Kelly's stylist Candice Lambert McAndrews picks the dress and then makeup artist Gloria Elias-Foeillet and myself discuss what the look should be. We all take each other's ideas into consideration," he added.

The star also hasn't been afraid to let fans in on her beauty secrets, which involves adding a few extensions to give her locks extra edge. While chatting to Tina Fey about the accessories on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in September 2025, Clarkson joked while gesturing to her mane, "If I had to brush this right now, it'd be real different." The Texas native jokingly added, "I'm like, it's a scam." But from shaved sides, to extra-large buns, to crimped locks with crazy volume, Clarkson's most striking hair looks are anything but.

Kelly Clarkson shocked us (in a good way) at a 2015 iHeartRadio event with long, loose curls on one side and a buzzcut on the other. Her tresses were styled into a severe side part to show off her new look, which was one of her most dramatic ever. She explained the move to PopCrush, recalling, "I went to my hair girl and I was like, 'I need something different, I need something to make me feel less like a mom. Because I just felt like I was super locked up.'"

How could we forget Kelly Clarkson's notorious chunky highlights — which experienced a comeback in 2024 – from her "American Idol" days? In 2002, the then up-and-coming star appeared on the singing competition with unblended, blond streaks at the front of her brunette locks and the back piled up for a messy yet edgy up-do. She also left a few strands down to frame her face, creating a look that was anything but boring and would go down in history as one of her most memorable.

The year after Kelly Clarkson was crowned the original "American Idol," her hair had us shook at a pre-Grammy party. The grown-up, half-up 'do was unlike anything we'd seen from her before — and rarely since. Her tresses were slicked back on the right side, but the left section was down to create a sleek side bang style that had us doing a double take. The distinct look did a great job of letting her gorgeous face be the focus and worked with her simple, slinky, black dress.

Kelly Clarkson's hair looked stunning in a warm shade of blond at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, marking a drastic change from the sharply highlighted brunette locks she rose to fame with. She pulled her golden tresses into a classy up-do without a single flyaway or any strands hanging down for softness. The sleek, slicked back sides and braided bun at the back made this style particularly bold and attention grabbing.

Kelly Clarkson brought us festive and fabulous vibes at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Rockefeller Plaza in 2023. The "Walk Away" singer's mane was dirty blond and she was ahead of her time with her flattering eyelash bangs, as they'd become the flirtiest hair trend the next year. Clarkson piled the rest of her tresses onto her head for an over the top, messy bun that was anything but inconspicuous and almost as loud as her powerhouse voice.

On "The Voice" in 2020, Kelly Clarkson's hair was anything but shy and retiring. The popstar had a few extensions added to her mane, which was styled into a textured, XXL pompadour, complete with braids, crimped sections, and serious volume. The sides were pulled back and the back was down, but there were still pounds of hair teased on the top of her head. Her hairstylist Robert Ramos told People, "We wanted a fierce edgy style with some major drama." And they certainly achieved that.

Kelly Clarkson had us doing a double take on "The Voice" in 2020 when she debuted a striking, platinum blond bob. The gorgeous, wispy 'do was one of her shortest in years and made the singer turned talk show host look almost unrecognizable, as we'd gotten used to seeing her with slightly darker, longer, softly waved locks. After the star shared a look at her layered, barely shoulder skimming style on Instagram, one fan commented, "I remember that fabulous HAIR." And so do we.

In 2019, Kelly Clarkson took another risk that seriously pulled off. At the Billboard Music Awards, she added waist-length, straight extensions (Clarkson looks almost unrecognizable without them) to her highlighted mane. The star's team also teased the top section to create serious volume above her forehead. Her hairstylist pulled the sides back into French braids and let her poker straight tresses fall over the top, for a modern and spunky, outside-the-box 'do that gave us total hair envy.