News : Kelly Clarkson Floats With Timely ’99 Red Balloons’ Cover: Watch

Red alert: A new Kellyoke just dropped. Kelly Clarkson brought the house down Friday (Feb. 25) with a timely cover of Nena’s hit song “99 Red Balloons” for the latest edition of The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s cover series.

Backed as usual by her band Y’all, Clarkson’s vocal versatility shined between both the loud and soft moments in “99 Red Balloons,” at one point belting out a stunning, 8-second long high note. Red and blue lights flashed aggressively behind her and the other musicians, accentuating the song’s rock ‘n’ roll chaos.

Released in 1983 during the Cold War, “99 Red Balloons” has long been interpreted as an anti-war anthem. Set to a distorted, now iconic bass line, the song’s lyrics paint a visceral portrait of violence: “The war machine springs to life/ Opens up one eager eye/ Focusing it on the sky/ When 99 red balloons go by.”

Released in 1983 during the Cold War, “99 Red Balloons” has long been interpreted as an anti-war anthem. Set to a distorted, now iconic bass line, the song’s lyrics paint a visceral portrait of violence: “The war machine springs to life/ Opens up one eager eye/ Focusing it on the sky/ When 99 red balloons go by.”

Watch Kelly Clarkson soar with her cover of Nena’s “99 Red Balloons” below: