Kelly Clarkson is debuting a fresh new look to mark this post-"Kelly Clarkson Show" chapter of her life.
The 44-year-old "American Idol" alumna
, who previously had long, caramel-colored hair when she was last on NBC for her talk show's Aug. 31 finale, sported chin-length blond waves when she appeared on the "Today" show Monday, Sept. 21. She wore her new hairstyle with a side part, pairing a camel-colored short trench coat outfit with black semi-sheer tights.Though she didn't address the chop while promoting that evening's Season 30 premiere of "The Voice," she said she's looking forward to focusing on her music career again and enjoying a more relaxed schedule after spending nearly seven years hosting her daytime talk show. She has also served
as coach on "The Voice" since 2018.
She is "momming so hard right now," she told Carson Daly, who emcees "The Voice" alongside his anchoring duties on "Today." She's lived in New York City since she, her children – River Rose, 12, and Remy Alexander, 10 – and her talk show moved there in 2023, and she now has time to "go get coffee and walk around" the city.
"I've never lived here … without working 9 to 5, and it's such a fun city to live in," she told Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvinand Daly. "I've been taking my kids [to school] every day and picking them up. We're really honing in as a family. It's been really, really good for us."
Clarkson's move to the city was partly due to her contentious divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock, which was finalized in 2022. The 48-year-old talent manager, who was also Reba McEntire's stepson from a prior marriage, died from melanoma in August 2025.
When she announced the end of her show in February, Clarkson said, "Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this chapter of our lives."
Kelly Clarkson had to turn down music opportunities for her talk show
The singer celebrated being back at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where her show filmed, for her "Today" appearance and said, "I do miss the people because when I came to work this morning, I was like, 'What's up!'"
No longer having an early call time for "The Kelly Clarkson Show" not only allows the star to watch her beloved Dallas Cowboys games – "I can stay up all night" now, she enthused – but also to accept more career opportunities.
"It was really great having the talk show, but I did have to say no to quite a bit of music things," she told the coanchors. "So it's been really cool saying yes to Stagecoach, festivals, getting back on their circuits, and I wasn't really able to do [that] before."
Earlier in the month, the Southern California country music festival Stagecoach revealed Clarkson would open for Garth Brooks on Sunday, April 25, 2027. Her fellow "The Voice" coach, newcomer Riley Green, is a headliner earlier in the weekend.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelly Clarkson debuts dramatic haircut after end of her talk show
