 |
P!NK
Missundaztood (Arista)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
I think there may be a tendency to lump young female pop artists into one little drawer and slam it shut. P!nk thinks so, too. She comes right out and says so in "Don't Let Me Get Me," and she doesn't go the hidden meaning route.
LA told me
You'll be a pop star
All you have to change
Is everything you are
Tired of being compared
To damn Britney Spears
She's so pretty
That just ain't me
So doctor doctor won't you please prescribe me something
A day in the life of someone elseI have no idea what your income's like, Pink - may I call you Pink? The ! is difficult to pronounce - but when it comes to true artistic talent, I suspect "someone else" may wish for a day in your life. These songs have wicked grooves, magnetic lyrics that pull the listener in and even get 'em singing in one easy lesson, and most importantly, they stand up all by themselves without flashpots, dancers and all the other trappings of pop of the 2000s. Don't toss her in that drawer. She's got more talent than any five others in there, and if you take the time to listen to the entire CD you'll notice this young lady delivers pop, rock, and R&B with equal strength and conviction. She even tackles the blues and nails it perfectly with a tune called "Misery," aided and abetted by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, who lends his voice without stealing the show.
This is album number two from Pink, and there are some important differences between this and 2000's Can't Take Me Home. One is the presence of Linda Perry, formerly of 4 Non Blondes, who played a little of everything on the album and co-wrote several of the key songs, including the sultry and compelling "Dear Diary." Another is the confidence evident in every performance, the confidence of a person who probably realizes her star is rising and it's her time to make her mark. Pay attention. She's got it going on. It'd be pretty sad if she were to make that mark while everyone was still watching Britney doing... well, not much at all.
© 2002 - DJ Johnson