P!nk releases album “All I Know So Far: Setlist”
For the past two decades, a P!nk song has consistently found its way onto radios somewhere. She has not only outlasted some of her contemporaries, like NSYNC, but also remained relevant through changing times and political climates. P!nk's versatile career has seen her collaborate with artists from various genres, such as the Indigo Girls and the lead singer of the now-defunct band fun. She even managed to make a lasting impact with songs that continue to receive regular airplay.
Throughout her music, P!nk strikes a delicate balance between themes of self-destruction and self-compassion, a dynamic she has embraced since her breakout album, "M!ssundaztood," in 2001. Amidst a series of bold and attention-grabbing statements, some seeking shock value, she leads to a heartfelt plea in "Don't Let Me Get Me": "I'm a hazard to myself / Don't let me get me." This song stood out on an album that explored the notion of how dangerous, damaged, or derailed the young 22-year-old singer might be, delving into themes of struggles and personal growth.
Within her music, whether in party tracks or ballads, there is always a moment of sudden vulnerability or an unapologetic expression of her true self, making P!nk's artistry both compelling and enduring.
P!nk is currently crafting her legacy, and the music industry is celebrating her perseverance and longevity. Recently, she was honored with the prestigious "Icon" award by Billboard. Coinciding with this recognition, Amazon released a documentary titled "P!nk: All I Know So Far," which chronicles her extensive 2019 European tour in support of her album "Beautiful Trauma" released in 2017. Over the years, P!nk has gained renown as a captivating live entertainer, incorporating daring stunts and performing through elaborate acrobatic routines during her shows. The documentary sheds light on her decision to bring her two young kids along with her during rehearsals and performances, depicting them playfully wandering around the backstage area, clad in diapers and even puffing on a trumpet.
In the film, P!nk expresses her desire for her tour to be a flawless experience for every ticket holder, while also aiming to create a perfect memory for her children. The immense pressure to achieve both goals weighs heavily on her, which is a central theme explored throughout the documentary.
Accompanying the film is the live album titled "All I Know So Far: Setlist," which showcases P!nk's performance on the tour. However, the album omits some of her more powerful songs, instead aiming to establish her position in a punk-adjacent musical canon. It emphasizes the notion that motherhood is fundamentally compatible with her brand of rebellious music, albeit with a milder edge. The album includes several rock covers, some of which are more successful than others. Notably, P!nk seamlessly weaves No Doubt's "Just a Girl" into a spirited performance of her own track "Funhouse," showcasing Gwen Stefani's clear influence while slightly toning down P!nk's characteristic metaphors. On the other hand, her rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" fails to leave a lasting impact, as it struggles under the weight of the original without adding any substantial innovation.
As a performer, P!nk is fun and brash and loose. “I forget the words,” she murmurs on the recording of her Nate Ruess collaboration, the sappy mallcore duet “Just Give Me a Reason.” “Screw that,” she says, and asks for a do-over. “I like that song.” She bounces on and off the beat on “Who Knew,” spilling over the song’s boundaries, and in the disarray the lyrics become disarming—“I’ll keep you locked in my head,” she whimpers, “until we meet again.” When she belts, her usually raspy voice scrapes at the notes, sometimes quivering with emotion. “I’m alright,” she cries on “So What,” convincing herself in real time, “I’m just fiiine.” On “Just Like a Pill,” one of the best songs she’s written, the audience rushes in to fill the gaps when she pauses; the recording becomes a document of this joint need, artist and audience working in tandem to cement a narrative of endurance.
The narrative P!nk wants to tell is that she’s a “renegade,” as she cooes on the title track—a new addition for the album, rooted in female empowerment—and that she’s stayed ahead of the times. But in reality P!nk is less revolutionary; she’s updated her music and her message in ways that seem both heartfelt and primed for mass appeal. The album includes her viral 2017 acceptance speech for the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award, somewhat jarringly slotted after a series of live songs, and in it she recalls talking to her then-six-year-old daughter about the toxicity of beauty standards and the freedom in androgyny. The applause fades into the next track, a blaring EDM beat from Cash Cash thumping under snippets from P!nk’s past interviews—“I need to know my pain is helping your pain,” she says, as the beat wheezes and drops. The messaging shows up on the album’s new songs, which seem less like anthems for the downtrodden and more like vessels for the statements P!nk wants to make now. At the Billboard award show, she and her nine-year-old daughter hung suspended in the air as they performed “Cover Me in Sunshine.” Guitar played somewhere offscreen, a low, forgettable strum. They twirled above the stage and chirped about “good times.” P!nk swung toward her daughter and their foreheads pressed together. It’s one of the weakest songs of her career; it may also mean the most.
I would give this 4 out of 4 stars.