She should change her name to Magenta, she's just that hot.
Or is that hot-headed?
For all of those wondering what happened to Tiger Beat's edge, let go a sigh of release, because Pink, aka Alecia Moore, is back and angrier than ever. The feisty musician's fourth studio album, I'm Not Dead, manages to blend social bitterness with dance wildness. It delivers a rock/pop/Indigo Girls inspired folk sound that, together, makes it Pink's most triumphant work to date.
The release of I'm Not Dead creatively marks the end of her two-and-a-half year hiatus, having taken some time off to propose to her fellow-friend and celebrate their modest January 7 Costa Rican nuptials. The paradox surrounding Pink, though, is that when she proposed to her motocross racer and "Surreal Life" star boyfriend Carey Hart it was considered a feminist revolution; when Britney Spears proposed to babies' daddy Kevin Federline, it was considered white trash. But that's the thing with Pink. It was expected that she be the one proposing, as she's made herself famous by refusing to take orders, openly revolting against all forms of celebrity-induced norms and never shying away from opportunities that allow her to broadcast her sass.
Take the album's kick-off track and first single, "Stupid Girls," as an example for Pink's persistent detachment from her bubble-gum pop counterparts. The song very explicitly mocks the "stupid girls" who "travel in packs of two or three / With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees."
And while public displays of girl-on-girl bashing are normally just catty, jealousy-induced defense mechanisms, Pink's song actually serves a cause deeper than those illegally addictive Lindsay Lohan/Hilary Duff feuds. Making fun of role models' not-so-laudable activities like bulimia, negligent car accidents and botched boob-jobs, as the music video so candidly displays, is perhaps the first step toward revamping the media's portrayal of the female creature. In that way, the "Stupid Girls" video plays like the Dove Campaign for Real Women, narrated by the always studious Pink.
Pink's always preachy attitude and her endless attempts to dodge any cookie-cutter image are, however, regarded by some as obnoxious, simply breeding conformity from advocating unconformity. But unlike her pretty pop-star rivals, Pink's IQ actually pushes the realm of middle age. And although she may not be as passionate as Janis Joplin or as eloquent as Bob Dylan, she is as brutal as Simon Cowell and can probably beat the crap out of most middleweight class wrestlers. Let's face it, when Pink has something to say, the world is willing to listen.
Teaming up with the Indigo Girls, Pink takes another stab against the status quo with the protest song "Dear Mr. President." Questioning everything from the No Child Left Behind Act to the President's personal parenting methods, Pink once again builds a barrier between herself and the reigning pop divas like the southern Simpson sisters, and it's refreshing to hear not so politically impressionable artists dominate Top 40 airwaves.
Not saying, however, that Pink possesses the editorial writing skills needed to contribute to an NYT op-ed. Her lyrics are so elementarily explicit they lack dimension. But then again, such clumsy political attacks might just be perfectly geared to her target audience of socially-conscious high schoolers. And if that's the case, Pink just might prove to be successful at influencing the wave the future voters.
But the entirety of I'm Not Dead, much like the artist herself, is a collection of contradictions. While lampooning paparazzi-hungry starlets in the aforementioned "Stupid Girls," Pink isn't shy to boast her own bling in "Cuz I Can" or the aptly entitled "I Got Money Now." One minute she's transparently whining about a clingy lover ("Leave Me Alone") and the next she's addressing as heavy a topic as sexual abuse ("Long Way to Happy"). But the reason the mainstream doesn't question Pink's overt contradictions, is because she has been able to act as a rebel while still catering to pop music demands. Despite its content, her music is undeniably addictive; it's brassy yet rough and Pink makes the whole world believe it's completely original.
Musically, however, Pink does prove she really is the brightest crayon in the Top 40 box. Even the awarded releases from Kelly Clarkson and Gwen Stefani lack consistency, making I'm Not Dead perhaps the most colored and cohered female pop album recorded in the last year. Well produced, well collaborated and full of diversity, Pink's latest release is sure to add a much-needed flavor to all corners of the dance floor.
Outspoken yet insecure, Pink isn't just pretty, she's pretty hard to ignore. And the offerings of I'm Not Dead are going to be kicking for some time to come.
Rating: 4 out of 5
