First Album as a Parent is Surprisingly Negative

Spotify alerted me this morning that there was a new album I would like – P!nk Beautiful Trauma. Long time readers will know that P!nk is only second to Roger Miller as the most listened to artist

Here is my breakdown of the songs individually:

Beautiful Trauma – just trashy. It has the feel of So What (a song I loved off the Funhouse album) but it just seems to trying to hard to recapture that feel with more crass lyrics.

Revenge – even trashier. She teams up with Eminem for a story about getting revenge on your ex – very uncool.

Whatever You Want – this is the first one that didn’t jump out with raunchy lyrics so I think I was still in shock. It has a good beat but no clear message from the lyrics

What About Us – this was a song she released in advance of the album so I had heard it already and reviewed this song individually.  In short, it was very political and not at all in her vein of “I can do things by myself because I am strong”

But We Lost It – this is a melancholy track about lost love. It is sad but it is traditional P!nk.

Barbies – another sad throwback but with a twist. Instead of lamenting lost love, it is more about being sad about growing up. This track seems to reinforce the message of What About Us and handing over the responsibility to your own life to someone else.

Where We Go – a negative song with a positive beat. Again, P!nk seems to be unsure of the future in this one.

For Now – more of the same. Most of these songs have the same theme – “I wish we could go back to a better time.”

Secrets – the first upbeat? track. While the lyrics talk about having secrets you keep from others, the track actually sounds very positive. It is a throwback in terms of attitude in the little add-ons she adds to her best songs “dot dot dotta do do doo” – “ish?”

Better Life – more f-bombs and other curses make you think you are getting an attitude track but it is just a sailor-speak version of the theme “I wish things were better.”

I Am Here – a promising start to the track quickly turns into an anti-morals track that encourages random sex, drinking, passing out in the mud – basically doing anything you want because “there is no sin.” It is unfortunate because the chorus I Am Here is very strong and could be the basis for a really good track.

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken – feels like a protest song. No, it is not a protest about anything in particular. It is a song that sounds like it was written for protesters to use as a rallying cry. It literally sounds like she is trying to sell this one to antifa, alt-right or anyone who needs a track to play as they march. It doesn’t take a stance so it doesn’t offend anyone and thus would work for all. Let’s see who adopts it first.

You Get My Love – very passionate track. It is about a total surrender of her love. It has a feel of Billie Holiday or Alicia Keys – very soulful. P!nk really lays it out there on this track. I fear it will be lost amongst all the negativity of Beautiful Trauma as a whole.

I have always like P!nk because her song have a lot of passion and she brings an attitude. This album however goes from attitude to simply potty mouth. Once you get past the cussing, the overall feel of the album is surprisingly negative.

I wonder if this is a reaction to being a parent? The Truth About Love came out after her first child but it was likely in the can before the affects of parenthood started to weigh on her. These tracks likely all came about while P!nk was already a parent.

I can relate to being much more concerned about the state of the world as a parent than when I was a bachelor, but this album sounds like she is in the corner rocking back and forth all the time. I know this isn’t true because I follow her on Instagram and she genuinely seems to be having a good time. (the gilded age of social media?)

I guess I’ve been spoiled by so many of her albums that I love every track. This album is pretty much like what I used to expect in anyone’s albums – one of two tracks I really like and “filler.” Sometimes those albums grow on you and you end up liking most the tracks.  I think there will be maybe three tracks that stay in my rotation.

by Chris Doelle

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