"Save You" received mixed to positive reviews by music critics, who were equivocal about its production but complimented its experimental bridge and Clarkson's performance. She has also included the song in the set list of the All I Ever Wanted Tour.
Background and recording
"Save You" was written by Ryan Tedder and Aimée Proal, with Tedder handling its production. A demo of the song was recorded by the rock band Gone 'Til November, whose lead singer is Proal, but after being dropped from Epic Records in 2008, the group disbanded even before recording took place.[2] Development of the song continued when Tedder submitted the demo to Clive Davis, who wanted Kelly Clarkson record it.[3]
"Save You" is written in the key of E major, Clarkson's vocal range spans from F♯3 to E5.[8] Lyrically, the song is about a person's lamentation and desire to save someone from a self-destructive behaviour, similar her 2003 song "Beautiful Disaster". In an interview with The Republican, Proal revealed that she wrote the song for her friend. she said, "She unfortunately lost her mother and I kind of wrote that as an apology because I wasn't around – I was in Los Angeles, I just wanted her to know that I was still thinking about her."[3]
Critical reception
Matt Busekroos of The Quinnipiac Chronicle praised the song as "a beautifully composed ballad with a nod to Mozart, especially near the bridge where a piano solo is prominently featured. The song is pure pop bliss."[5] Debayan Deb of The Hindu praised it as "one of the best engineered tracks as the drums and Kelly Clarkson’s soaring vocals compliment [sic] each other."[9] Larry Rodgers of The Arizona Republic noted that ""Save You" mine the same break-up territory but show added maturity in their delivery by the 26-year-old singer."[10] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly described the song as a "soaring, impeccably constructed power ballad."[11]
Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine gave a mixed review, he wrote: "The bombastic orchestral arrangement and multi-tracked vocals on "Save You" are overdone, but the strength of Clarkson's dramatic vocal turn still shines through."[12] David Sessions of Patrol Magazine criticized Tedder's production on the song, remarking that he "seems to be intent on bringing his band’s vague, clichéd, synthy rock to girl-pop", which sinks "Save You." and "Already Gone."[13] Brian Linder of IGN gave a mixed review, he wrote, "It's not that the Tedder joints are bad. In fact, they're all perfectly radio-ready tunes. But with the possible exception of "Save You," this synth-heavy stuff is just not what best suits Clarkson's skillset. It makes for a soft midsection of the album that isn't as memorable as the bookends."[14]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the All I Ever Wantedliner notes.[7]
