On Friday, October 13 P!nk released her seventh studio album, “Beautiful Trauma,” following the release of three singles and a powerful speech at the VMA’s in August.
The album opens with the title single. Euphoric strings and horn sections begin and weave throughout the song with a catchy synth-pop style beat backing Pink’s defiant and triumphant voice, as she brings you on the rollercoaster of a relationship she calls “Beautiful Trauma.”
The next song on the album, “Revenge (feat. Eminem),” was written by Pink with the express purpose of collaborating with Eminem and “going for a rap Grammy.” The song follows a bitter former couple, both vindictive after a messy end to their relationship. Pink labels it “a nightmare f––ing come true.”
The next single, “Whatever You Want,” is stylistically reminiscent of Pink’s 2016 single “Just Like Fire,” and it deals with romantic perseverance, a theme already present in multiple songs on this record. The song stands strong on its own, but it becomes redundant amongst the other tracks on the album.
“What About Us,” the album’s first single, is a far more oblique follow up to her 2006 single “Dear Mr. President.” The lyrics beseech the current administration, calling for more compassion and peace, rather than hostility and cruelty. The music video for the song contains politically charged imagery, with a short audio clip at the beginning of the video declaring: “We are going to reject hate. We are going to reject racism.”
The album’s tone shifts with “But We Lost It,” a stirring ballad that has a darker take on romantic struggles. A more uptempo “Better Life,” also looks on the darker side of things, exploring doubt and insecurity within a relationship. “Where We Go” is about searching for answers to squelch this uncertainty.
Pink examines her flaws and past mistakes in “For Now,” asserting “My mouth gets me in trouble all the time.” This gives an alternative perspective of her outspokenness– a trait she’s frequently lauded for.
“I Am Here” is a rollicking, life-affirming declaration of victory after battling everything life throws at you. This song glues the entire album together, speaking to both Pink’s personal struggles, and the problems everyone faces in these particularly trying times.
“Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken” slows the album down once more, with only piano accompanied by haunting strings and soulful, touching lyrics. Her best vocal performance by far, though, is on “You Get My Love,” the final song on the album. She reassures, “If there’s only one thing about me that you can trust/You get my love, baby,” aptly closing a contemplative and cathartic album.
Pink has a three-month long nationwide tour scheduled to begin in March of next year, and she’ll be at the Pepsi Center on May 8, 2018. You can find tickets and more about the album here.
