Ok, I am going to be honest; I love Kelly Clarkson. I see nothing wrong with this. I even rented From Justin to Kelly with my friend, Katie Papantos. (Hey, if I am going down, I am bringing someone with me).

What allowed me to really listen to Kelly's new CD were songs that I found on my computer. I also listen to other artists like Eminem, 50 Cent and Toby Keith. So one could say that I enjoy variety. However, I really only like a few songs, so it is difficult to justify buying an entire CD when I only want to rock out to "Miss Independent."

Apparently, I am not the only one with this problem. Downloading music from the Internet has become a major trend in America. But while I see the direct monetary benefit to my wallet, in the eyes of the record industry, downloading music from sites such as Kazaa is a major problem and consequently hurting the whole industry.

Just recently, an attempt to combat these free music Web sites was made by Universal Music Group. Universal Music Group said on Sept. 10 that it would slash the wholesale price of its CDs by 25 percent in an effort to revive an ailing market and to discourage piracy. This is the first record company to take action in this manner after an industry-wide crisis, which has produced layoffs, mergers and record store closings.

Prices for CDs are being lower from around $18 to around $12. And although downloading songs from the Internet offers the cheapest price, Universal hopes that consumers will be motivated to return to record stores. This new price range has been termed, 'the sweet spot,' since it will bring customers back and the record company can still make a profit. However, Universal said the price cuts will be short-term, lasting only until the holiday season.

The saddest part about the loss of revenue is independent record store retailers and other music industry employees are losing out. While we are downloading free music, they cannot afford to stay in business. The big executives and artists are only taking a pay cut, but the employees at the bottom of the list are losing their jobs.

Downloading music is easy and free, which is difficult to resist. But now with CD prices declining and the threat of being fined for downloading, returning to normal, legal methods of listening to music is essential. And if you are like me and do not want to purchase the entire CD, there are various other options to purchase just one song. For example, Apple Computer's iTunes gives you a way to buy a song for $1.

I am having a change of heart. I am willing to pay for the music I want to listen to, even if it is sometimes cheesy. At the very least, paying a nominal fee to download one song at a time would be an acceptable alternative. This way I can pick out my favorite and listen to whatever I want. But just maybe, I will be a bit more selective in my musical criteria.

We all make mistakes. I will return to purchasing CDs and never watch From Justin to Kelly again. It is the artists that have the musical talent and I can certainly appreciate that.

I am jumping on the bandwagon, and I allow you to also.

Darcy McNutt is a senior in LAS. Her columns appear Wednesdays. She can be reached at opinions@dailyillini.com.