Single Review: P!nk – What About Us
2 min readP!nk’s musical career has been on the back burner since 2012’s Truth About Love album, but 2017 will see her release album number 7; Beautiful Trauma, of which single What About Us is the lead single. Ushering the next chapter of her career in a distinctly more composed manner, this track indicates a more adult side to the notoriously bombastic singer.
Right from the very start it is clear that P!nk has moved on from punchy aggression towards ex-lovers, What About Us instead sees the singer a little more broken than we’re used to, but nonetheless strong and empowered. By restraining her powerful voice to just the choruses, P!nk is able to convey an emotional intensity not seen since her now iconic Missundaztood era at the start of her career.
This is not the voice of a woman who is letting heartbreak destroy her, more the voice of someone questioning why she no longer matters in the life of someone she clearly cares intensely for. Aside from wondering who could ever dump P!nk, listeners are left wanting to reach out and console a singer who often hides her vulnerability with bravado.
It might have been five years since her last record, but P!nk still has the pull to headline festivals and continues to release music that rarely falters in quality. What About Us perfectly sets the tone for this album cycle, setting expectations high – but there is little doubt about her ability to live up to the excitement and expectation currently resting on her shoulders.