P!nk

P!nk is one of those pop artists who you can’t seem to escape. She’s been in the game for years upon years and she’s still on everyone’s radar. Her hit catalogue actually dates back to the late 90’s. She was in two girl groups, Basic Instinct which disbanded before any official material was released and Choice which only released one song “Key To My Heart” for the Kazaam soundtrack. Soon after, P!nk was given the option to go solo, which she did, and for good reason. P!nk quickly found success with her first couple of solo records Can’t Take Me Home and Missundaztood spawning iconic singles like “Don’t Let Me Get Me” and “Just Like A Pill.” I remember listening to some of P!nk’s songs when I was just a child, and I so vividly recall her fantastic Kid’s Choice Awards performance of “Get The Party Started.” For someone to be killing it back then, and to still be so prominent in today’s musical climate, it’s incredible and it takes a real artist to do that. P!nk had been through all kinds of phases, portraying herself as the hardcore bad ass chick for most of her career, which was a different approach from peers like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears who were used as more sexual icons known for their looks. Even with everything seemingly being against the type of artist P!nk presented herself as, she was able to power through her many different eras, finding success over and over again. P!nk was a certified hit maker, with impressive vocal abilities and a unique vulnerability to her lyricism. She soon found herself at the center of the radio, producing hit after hit with tracks like “So What” and “Raise Your Glass,” ultimately peaking with what I believe is still her best record to date, The Truth About Love.

P!nk is one of the female pop-rock superstars that we admire and adore up to this day. We just love we can relate to her songs as she matures as an artist. But like some of the pop stars who were introduced in the late 90’s, Alecia Beth Moore a.k.a. P!nk had to follow what her management and record label thinks is best for her. She ended up recording a R&B/Hiphop album entitled Can’t Take Me Home. One of the producers who worked with her is BabyFace and to be honest, I think P!nk and her team came up with a good album. I know that she’s vocal about feeling disconnected with her earlier work, but it was a good project for her to experiment and for music fans to know her. Also, the music videos they produced that time were fun to watch because she has this attitude of a young woman who you wouldn’t want to mess with. The girl has spunk! Care to join me on a nostalgic trip to Pink’s early work? There you go!

P!nk is one of those artists who is good in connecting to the souls of her listeners. The words she utters also get represented well with the kind of voice she has. It's whole, it's full of emotion, it's strong enough to cover the necessary note or pitch for the lyrics. She's also unconventional which is why when she came out in the music industry, she was easily received well by the people. And it translated well as the market also gave her good success. Pink's ability to pull off both dance-ish tracks and soul-ish ones in one album is impeccable. I think that's her trademark-- an artist who can go to both sides of the pendulum. It's an obvious thing in her album M!Ssundaztood. But the most interesting part of this album is how the artist sings tracks that represent the fallenness of our world, the need for help, and the frustrations in a broken world. As her second album, Pink was able to experience good reception selling millions of copies globally. Her formula worked for this one.

I like ten of the thirteen tracks in P!nk’s latest album, Hurts 2B Human. That is quite a high number considering that only three of those songs (“Walk Me Home”, “Hustle”, and “Can We Pretend” have been released as singles. Also, I do not like the two singles chosen to be the singles of this album. So that makes P!nk’s new collection of new music, extremely likeable in my scale meter because it is not the perceived hits that really carry the album, but a lot of undiscovered gems that can help play out the slow but sure style of marketing P!nk has been employing for her last few albums to succeed. I am sure this album has legs because there are so many beautiful songs and interesting collaborations which the record company and P!nk herself can choose from.

You and I know that so many albums have retained number one spot on music charts across the world, some may even occupy the position twice with different albums, but what more can you say about three consecutive albums topping charts like Billboard 200? Alicia Beth Moore might not have the ovation and attention Beyonce Knowles-Carter and her contemporaries enjoy, but this feat deserves some respect you can’t overlook. The last two albums before Hurts 2B Human, “The Truth About Love (2012)”, and “Beautiful Trauma (2017)” enjoyed successive stints on the number one spot of the billboard 200, guess what? ‘Hurts’ is not letting this slide too, which makes it easy to assume that her best is yet to come. With over 90million records sold worldwide, she is ranked as one of the world’s best selling music artistes, and career accolades like Grammy Awards and so many more make her recognized for her good vibes, and energetic live performances. P!nk has always been unique, she has well documented this in her albums; most of her productions have been all about “I don’t care yo, and I’m not trying to fit in”. She’s being in the game for over two decades, but her pop fusion can be strongly linked with outsiders and rebels, unlike her contemporary pop stars. – Weird or Awkward? Whichever way you call it is probably right! Because if you have to talk about her genre – pop – it isn’t something you would call alternative music, but Pink has strangely balanced these worlds over the years. She has never tried to be the coolest songwriter or musician, you could tell from her emotional rawness, humor and communicable dance beats, but she's shown us herself which is aptly enough. Pink is simply a badass, and a pure one at that, but Hurts 2B Human is rather a reflection of her vulnerable and careful self, it is sad and loaded with past regrets, yet, the album still found its way to the top. Her albums engender deep songs that are impeccably flouting industry style, laced with attitude and a seeming genre rebellion. It is safe to say that her achievements have fallen short of deserved recognition, which is quite SHOCKING! She hardly gets mentioned in conversations about great musicians in her era, and most importantly among her pops folks. Some people may argue that she can out-crazy Lady Gaga, and out-sing most of these pop artistes because she is a total pop-star package, but somehow, she is oddly off the radar, probably a price for breaking borders. If you knew about how “Beautiful Trauma“ broke best sales figures in 2017, and how Hurts 2B Human is topping 9 different charts now, coupled with her strings of electrifying performances, then you would surely understand why so many people love her unique career path. You may not grade her as your favorite while some may not even know her, but so many people consider her their icon.

P!nk is known for not holding back on how she feels. Through her refreshing punk approach, she has carved out her own section in the pop genre. She is unique, refreshing, artistic and badass. And true to form, she takes us on a trip through her personal highs and lows through her catalogue of song. Her latest offering, Hurts 2B Human, is a vulnerable introspective look into P!nk’s soul. There is no other way to say this - the album is sad. Luckily she does sad well. My favourite P!nk song is a hidden gem from her 2008 Funhouse album called “I Don’t Believe You.” While listening to Hurts 2B Human I was instantly reminded of the raw and beautiful emotion that she offered on this earlier album. Back in 2008, P!nk was going through a very public separation for her then (and now) husband Carey Hart. Who knows what is going on to inspire this recent collection of songs. I won’t lie, I would have liked a bit more balance of party anthems sprinkled with a sprinkling of sad songs. But P!nk is an artist - and this is what she needs to put out into the universe at the moment - so I respect that. Besides a bunch of melancholy melodies that I’ll get to shortly, there are a few more upbeat songs on the album. “Hustle” is the first track on the record - and while I like it’s swing quality and badass attitude, it doesn’t seem to have a place among the rest of the songs, especially as the introduction to the rest of the album. It almost seems like false advertising for what is to come. Contrastingly, “Can We Pretend (feat. Cash Cash)” has a classic P!nk sound with a danceable track. It’s cute and humble and exactly what I want to hear from her. “Courage” is a simple and repetitive anthem about bringing about personal change in your life. Introspective and musically, the song builds to a powerful end. Now for the sad songs. I swear if you made a playlist of some of the deeper material on this album, you would have an epic line-up for a folk-fest. At times I thought a song would have been perfect as a duet with Brandi Carlisle. Next, I began to wonder if another song was produced by Mumford & Sons. Then back to a thoughtfully somber song that you would expect from Jann Arden. Regardless of the musicality, P!nk’s voice is always stunning. She has a clear yet raw quality when she sings - which makes her sad songs border on pretty. It makes the music easier to digest and take in. The last time I saw P!nk in concert, the arena was filled with (mostly) women and girls who were empowered and ready to rock out. They were there to channel their inner P!nk and rebel. They knew every lyric to “Raise Your Glass,” “So What,” and “U + Ur Hand.” As I listen to this album, I can’t help but think it’s a big departure from her past brassier anthems. Yes - it does fit better with the stylings of her Beautiful Trauma album - but how will all this translate in a 2-hour performance? If I were P!nk, I’d announce a stripped down acoustic promo tour that highlights her voice and performance skills. She has the vocal chops to pull it off…otherwise, I think if she mixes her full catalogue with new material, her concert will be more like a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Overall, I enjoyed listening to the album. It was definitely an album that continues P!nk’s story. It was filled with her characteristic charm and personality and vulnerability. P!nk is the first to remind us that she is just like us. Just another human who hurts and feels too much. After the first listen through, I saved a few of the songs…not that I was instantly in love with them but knowing that they will grow on/with me. Like all music, there is a time for every mood. Perhaps it’s because P!nk’s music has a timeless quality to it. You’ll have your music on shuffle and one of her classic songs will come and perfectly fit that moment in your life. Hurts 2B Human is deeply personal and I feel like these songs will be just as compelling in a decade as they are right now. And although I don’t need a collection of sad songs at my fingertips right now, there will come a day that I know this music will become my beautiful soundtrack.