By Manoush Zomorodi In New York

Justin, Britney and Beyonce all got their start on talent contests, but will Kelly Clarkson, winner of American Idol, have as much long term success?

Her first single, A Moment Like this, is released in the United States on Tuesday.

The RCA music team chose a ballad to show off Kelly's voice and range. But the result is a song that sounds pass� compared to others on the charts right now by young women.

Tough girls like Pink and Avril Lavigne, who also actually write their own music, seem much more sophisticated. This song is reminiscent of the days of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

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Kelly repeats the lyrics over and over again. They were obviously written as an ode to her success on the Pop Idol show: "Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this - I can't believe it's happening to me".

Combine that enlightening declaration with some sentimental sweeping strings, the predictable key change mid-way through, plus a lot of vibrato and you have the usual ingredients for a formulaic hit.

It sounded like a theme for the latest Disney film. I kept picturing animated horses or mermaids singing to each other, though I doubt that was what Kelly had in mind.

Perhaps this song will appeal to the millions who tuned into American Idol for the tension and drama.

But without the visuals, this single ought only to sell to a small fraction of the show's audience - to those who actually liked the music that was performed and did not mind that it sounded like a televised karaoke night.

But who knows. Will Young from Pop Idol set record sales in the UK last February with his first single.

Like him, Kelly Clarkson received so much free publicity just by appearing on the programme, that it may not even matter what this song sounds like.

Kelly Clarkson's album is due out on 26 November.