Pink’s new album blends catchy beats, soulful melodies

Alison Robles, Managing Editor
May 4, 2019

“Hurts 2B Human,” Pink’s 8th studio album, released worldwide on April 26.

 

The album released in the middle of the 39-year-old’s worldwide Beautiful Trauma tour, named after the 7th album released in 2017. Pink’s stage performances are a sight to behold alongside her powerhouse vocals, and her new album certainly doesn’t disappoint with the same amount of spark.

 

The 13-song album is full of Pink’s usual repertoire of high-octane beats contrasted by sad, slow melodies. There are also plenty of collaborations with artists such as Wrabel, Khalid, Cash Cash and Chris Stapleton.

 

The opening track “Hustle” is a surefire anthem with its infectious hook of “don’t hustle me/don’t [expletive] with me” underscored by a bouncy beat.

 

The track “90 Days,” which features Wrabel, highlights Pink’s drawling vocals backed up by a haunting synthesizer echo. “Can We Pretend” featuring Cash Cash is a head-bopping club beat. For many artists, having such a tonal contrast would feel wrong, but Pink manages to blend it into a cohesive, effortless sound.

Pink spoke to USA Today about her inspiration for some of the songs in her album. Pink’s father, who is currently in remission from cancer, inspired the thoughtful ballad “Circle Game.”

“(The song) is about growing up and still feeling like that little girl, waiting for my dad to fix my problems and realizing that’s not the way it is anymore,” Pink said. “And now that I have children, it just changes when you look at your kids.”

The album’s single, “Walk Me Home,” was teased on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Feb. 6, and the song’s music video was released on March 21. The song is highlighted by a deep, clapping rhythm and the lyrics are wistfully optimistic as Pink calls for someone to walk her home to find a moment of peace in this chaotic world.

 

Pink’s sound has been constantly evolving over the years. With notable hits from nearly all of her albums – the 2001 classic “Get the Party Started,” the devil-may-care anthem “So What” from 2008, to the crooning duet with Nate Ruess in “Just Give Me a Reason” in 2013 – Pink has managed to stay relevant and uphold a presence on everyone’s playlist.