Chords for Ava Max - Interview and "Kings & Queens" Performance with The Kelly Clarkson Show

She's a talented singer and her song,
Sweet But Psycho has been streamed over 2 billion.
That's right, billion times.
She just released her debut album on a major label.
Here we go.
Here it is. _
It's called Heaven and Hell,
which is a great title of an album.
Let's say hello to Ava Max, y'all. _
_ _ _ _ _ [C#m] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Dm] Hi. _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ Hi. _ _
_ [D] _ Hi.
Hi. _ _
[N] Hi.
Check out that cute hair.
Hi, thank you. _
Well, while you're here, meet Neil.
Hello.
Neil, meet Ava.
He said, hey.
What's up, Ava?
Big fan of you as well.
_ Who isn't?
Hey, cheers.
Your song, Kings and Queens, that's fantastic.
I listened to that and as a gay dude,
I was all about loving the music offensively that way.
So congratulations on that.
I'm so happy you have that profile.
Sorry, _ _ well, wait, I love your haircut.
So what inspired it?
You know, it was a happy accident.
_ _ _ It's a really funny story.
I'm not even kidding you.
About three years ago, I was baking,
which I now know how to bake
because quarantine taught us how to cook and bake,
I feel like.
But three years ago, I could not bake.
So I burnt my cookies.
I ran downstairs after cutting just one side of my hair.
And then literally coming back up, I passed a mirror
and I was like, wait a second.
I don't know.
I haven't seen this before and I kind of like it.
It's different.
I haven't seen it.
So _ I started wearing it and I'm not even kidding you.
I got the weirdest looks and I'm like, okay, this is it.
Do your own thing.
I love the message.
Start a trend, don't follow it.
Literally just everything I stand for.
So that's why I kept it.
And now I feel like it's my identity.
I was literally going to say,
I've never seen anyone but you with it.
So that's why I love it.
But we're celebrating the music
that brings us all together this week.
So what artists have kind of inspired you, especially now?
You, first of all.
Oh, you're nice.
No, no, no.
I'm not just saying that.
Like, you're such an incredible singer.
I sang like big pop vocalist songs growing up.
Like Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson.
I just love that I'm in that sentence.
No, no, no.
Okay.
Your voice is massive.
So I would always try to hit your high notes.
_ Stronger, excuse me.
Stronger is one of my favorite songs ever.
You can ask anyone who asked me to do a playlist for them.
I put that song in there.
It's such an anthemic song.
Oh, that's so nice.
No, but seriously.
And Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey.
I just grew up with a lot of my favorite artists,
I feel like, in my basement singing their songs
at my little karaoke station.
Oh, me too.
I was always, I was like, we have a small house.
So it was always, my first recording studio was actually,
because all the clothes in your closet.
So I would go record like in my little,
and my mom was always like,
oh my God, you're still singing.
But it worked out, mom.
So Ava, like Neil, you got your start
when you were young, right?
Was it in a competition?
Yeah.
I mean, I don't know if it's a start.
I definitely just love to perform.
So I went to as many competitions as I possibly could.
_ _ And so, you know, there was a thing called talent rock
back in the day, you know?
And there was 3000 people there.
I did not win because the girl who won
did like five back flips onto the stage.
And I was, it was just like, I can't compete with that.
Wait, wait, was it about singing?
It was about singing, but I mean, the show aspect of it,
she had that down, the girl like went in
and then goes, ah, like it was like.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, no, I can't compete with that.
Okay.
That's like, wait, when I saw,
I've seen Pink so many times live and I love her so much,
but I remember the very first time I saw it,
looked at my manager and I saw her flying around the arena.
And I was like, nope.
_ I was like, not gonna happen.
We all have our lanes, bro.
I was like, yeah.
I was like, not gonna happen.
But isn't this wonderful that we're here?
Anyway, I don't even want to go to up and down stairs,
let alone fly.
_ _ Anyway, congrats on your debut album.
This is a very exciting time.
I still remember when mine came out.
So I know how exciting that is
and you finally get it out there.
And it's just kind of like, ah.
It was a kind of, it's called Heaven and Hell.
And also this is awesome.
I love the two different, this is, I get it.
I get the imagery, but was it kind of,
before I ask you the story about it,
was it kind of a bummer to release something
and like this all happened?
You know, I, yes.
The answer is yes.
We were supposed to release it earlier this year,
but I really didn't feel like it was right.
First of all, we had no idea what was going on.
Yeah.
You know, especially in March when it all went down.
So I had to push it back.
So what is it about?
Tell us the story behind it.
Heaven and Hell is about all the emotions
we go through in life.
It's the ups and downs, the yin and the yang.
I feel like my whole life is driven by duality.
Like, do I eat the chocolate cake or do I not?
Do I date this guy or do I not?
Like, you know, there's always an angel
and a devil on my shoulder talking to me, you know?
And I feel like in general, our lives and relationships
and our careers are all up and down
and we can relate to that.
That's one thing we can relate to.
It's never consistently happy or consistently sad.
_ But all the tracks on the album are super anthemic.
There's no sad song on the album
because I really think we just need
anthemic music right now.
No, I do.
I do agree with that. _
Well, you're singing a song called Kings and Queens today.
So what's this song about?
We know why Neil likes it. _
We know why Neil likes it.
Kings and Queens is about equality.
Yeah.
Equality for all.
_ _ And it's for female empowerment.
It's for queens supporting queens.
You know, growing up I saw a lot of men
in positions of power and not enough queens.
So I want to spread that message as _ best I can
and through my music, that's the only way I can do it.
Yeah.
Agreed.
It's a powerful thing.
Well, y'all here is Ava Mac singing
Kings and Queens.
Check it out.
[C#m] _ _ [F#m] _ _
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_ [E] _ _ _ [A] _ _ [F#m] _ _
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_ [A] _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ [G#m] _
_ [C#m] _ _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _
_ [B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ [F#m] _ _ [G#m] Can't run this [C#m] show on your own
I [F#m] can't feel my body [B] take this
Only [E] so much I can take
[A] I'll show you how [F#m] a real [G#m] queen _ [C#m] behaves Ah _
[F#m] No damsel [B] in distress [E] don't need to save [A] me
[F#m] Once I set free [G#m] the fire [C#m] you can't tame me
[F#m] And you might [B] think I'm weak [E] without a sword
[A] _
_ [F#m] But if I [G#m] had one it'd be [C#m] bigger than yours
If [F#m] all of the kings had [B] their queens on [E] the throne
[A] We will pop [G#] [F#m] champagne _ [G#m] and [C#m] raise a toast
To all of [F#m] the queens [B] who are fighting [E] _
alone
[A] Baby you're [F#m] not dancing [G#m]
on your [C#m] own
_ Disobey [F#m] me then baby [B] it's [E] off with your head
[A] Gonna change [F#m] it and make it [G#m] a world [C#m] you won't forget
_ _ [F#m] No [B] damsel in distress don't [E] need to save [A] me
[F#m] Once I set [G#m] free the [C#m] fire you can't tame me
[F#m] And you might [B] think I'm weak [E] without a sword
[A] _ _ [F#m] But I'm stronger than [G#m] I ever [C#m] was before
If all [F#m] of the kings [B] had their queens [E] on the throne
We [A] will pop [F#m] champagne [G#m] and raise [C#m] a toast
To all [F#m] of the queens who [B] are fighting [E] alone
[A] Baby you're [F#m] not [G#m] dancing on [C#m] your own _
Whoa
[F#m] _ _ _ [B] _ _ [E] _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ [G#m] _
_ [C#m] _ Whoa
_ _ [F#m] _ _
_ [B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ [G#] _ [F#m] _ _ [G#m] _ _ [C#m] _ _
_ [D] _ In just a kink [A] and move one space at a time
[E] _ The queens are free to [B] go wherever they [D] like
You get too close you'll [A] get a royalty high
[E] _ So breathe it in to [G#] feel _ alive _ _ _ _ _
_ [C#m] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ _ [B] _
_ [E] _ _ _ [A] _ _ [G#] _ [F#m] _
_ [G#m] Oh
[C#m] _ _ _ To all of [F#m] the _ _ [B] _ _ [E] _
queens who [A] are fighting alone
Baby you're [F#m] not dancing [C#m] on your own
_ _ _ _ _ [A#m] _ _ _ _ _ _ [D#m] _ _ _ [F#] _
_ [C#] _ _ _ _ _ [A#m] _ _