Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)

The harmony of 'Stronger' is deliberately simple — a single four-chord loop (Am-F-C-G) repeated throughout the entire song. This Aeolian progression avoids the dominant chord (E or E7) entirely, keeping the mood resolute rather than tense. The genius lies not in harmonic complexity but in how Kurstin's production and Clarkson's vocal dynamics create the illusion of harmonic journey. The minor tonic gives the empowerment lyrics a defiant edge that a major key arrangement would lack.

The song was originally titled 'What Doesn't Kill You' and was written by Jörgen Elofsson, Ali Tamposi, David Gamson, and Greg Kurstin in September 2010. Tamposi's mother had given her the Nietzsche adage as advice, and although Tamposi initially found the phrase saccharine, she submitted it as a songwriting idea to Elofsson and Gamson during their sessions. The song was first intended for Leona Lewis, who turned it down. Tamposi's manager Tom Maffei then had producer Matty Trump create a demo, which was pitched to RCA A&R executive Jeff Aldrich, who gave the song to Clarkson. Greg Kurstin was then brought in to rework the production, changing the tempo, beat, and chords, and adding the signature guitar riff that opens the verse.

Released as the second single from Clarkson's fifth studio album Stronger in January 2012, 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)' fuses dance-pop, electropop, and pop rock into a propulsive declaration of resilience after heartbreak. Produced by Greg Kurstin and co-written with Jörgen Elofsson, Ali Tamposi, and David Gamson, the song became Clarkson's longest-running number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over five million copies worldwide.