Friday Song: “So What”
A #1 hit, a singer who flies, and a risque tale of a relationship hitting the rocks — what's not to like?
P!nk is one of my favorite artists because, well, she’s a rock star, through and through — ribald, creative, funny, sometimes shocking, and always riveting.
In this clip from a 2019 concert — which comes from the documentary All I Know So Far, and ends with some scenes from same — her ability to sing while performing complex flying gymnastics is on display. If this fails to impress, her 2010 Grammy performance of a ballad while doing a riskier stunt may do the trick.
P!nk spent many years in her early life as a competitive gymnast, and learned deep diaphragmatic breathing to cope with severe childhood asthma. These skills, combined with her musical prowess and performance chops, make her a force of nature in concert, capable of feats other performers can only marvel at.
P!nk was born in Doylestown, PA, with the given name of Alecia Beth Moore Hart. Her mother worked as an emergency room nurse, and her father sold insurance. She began performing music professionally at age 14, signed her first record deal (as part of a short-lived group) at age 16, and signed as a solo artist at age 19. She released her first single at age 20, the song “There You Go” from her debut album Can’t Take Me Home. “There You Go” reached #7 on the Billboard charts in the US, #2 in Australia, and #6 in the UK. Her string of successes has been largely unbroken since. She has won three Grammy Awards, and numerous other accolades on top of selling more than 135 million records. Her new album (Trustfall) has just been released.
“So What” (2008) reached #1 in both the US and the UK. The song came about when P!nk improvised some lyrics over a beat she liked, and kept pushing out more outrageous and ill-mannered thoughts until she had a song. It does refer to the end of her marriage to motocross racer Carey Hart, and goes from there.
The two ultimately reconciled, and had a daughter, Willow, in 2011. Willow seems capable of following in her mother’s footsteps, based on a 2021 performance at the Billboard Music Awards.
“So What” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2009, but lost to Adele’s “Chasing Pavements.”
Enjoy!
(But I think nobody has more fun here than P!nk . . .)