Band of the Week: P!nk

OK, artist, not band, but I have a slightly pernickety personality. I like consistency, so I'm not changing titles just to fit. Ahem. Moving on.

P!nk. Not exactly a new artist. Her debut album came out all the way back in 2000 and at the time she had a totally different sound. From the more R&B oriented Can't Take Me Home, there was a marked change in her sophomore album, Missundaztood towards a more rock-influenced sound. Missundaztood was the first album of P!nk's that I owned. Someone bought it for me at Christmas one year. I don't remember asking for it and to be honest, I don't think I was all that into P!nk at the time. But that album really grew on me. It became part of the soundtrack to my teenage years. Songs like Don't Let Me Get Me spoke to my teenage angst, as I'm sure they did to others. Missundaztood was a pop album with attitude.

And that's what I love so much about P!nk. She has this amazing attitude. Moving on through third and fourth albums Try This and I'm Not Dead, that attitude moved from angst and anger towards a more grown up feeling. She takes the opportunity to poke fun at the industry as well, which I always love. Tracks like Stupid Girls (from I'm Not Dead) take all that's wrong with celebrity and just take the piss. And then there's the more political side. The beautiful track Dear Mr President (from I'm Not Dead) takes the form of an open letter to then-President George W. Bush, asking just what he thinks of certain situations: the war in Iraq/Afghanistan, gay rights, the No Child Left Behind policy, homelessness among others. The line "How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?" has to be one of the most beautiful, simple lines I've heard.

It's tracks like that which also show the power in P!nk's voice. It shows her versatility - to go from very rock-driven songs, through acoustic and R&B and still she sounds amazing.

I've not listened to Funhouse - haven't got round to buying it yet, but I'm sure, going by the singles, it'll be just as wonderful as the previous three albums. As for Can't Take Me Home, R&B isn't my thing. I've heard a couple of tracks from it and they're undeniably P!nk, but, yeah, not my thing.

Y'know what's really great about her though? She makes fun music. Stupid Girls, Get The Party Started, Trouble, So What and so many others are just fun songs that make you smile, make you dance and make you happy. They're a wonderful balance to the more emotional or serious moments of her music. P!nk gave me the soundtrack of my teenage years and I would be perfectly happy if she'd do the same for the next few years as well.

Assorted P!nk links:
Myspace
Last.FM
Official Site

Recommended tracks:
From Missundaztood: 18 Wheeler, Don't Let Me Get Me, Numb, Catch-22, Just Like A Pill, Get The Party Started
From Try This: Trouble, Oh My God (feat. Peaches), Hooker, Try Too Hard, Humble Neighbourhoods
From I'm Not Dead: Dear Mr President (feat. Indigo Girls), U + Ur Hand, Fingers, I Have Seen The Rain (feat. James T Moore), The One That Got Away, Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self