Pop singer not qualified to sing 'The Truth About Love'
P!nk thinks she has all the answers.
On "The Truth About Love," the pop singer's latest album, the spunky diva dishes out advice in the form of 13 upbeat but mostly disposable tracks.
The album starts off with "Are We All We Are?" — a fast-paced tune that sets the pace for the compilation as a whole. P!nk tries to spit rhymes in a style similar to Nicki Minaj, but it just sounds cheap and forced. The track is followed by radio single "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," a mediocre tune packed with sexual innuendo, formula-following electronic instrumentation and a chorus that has the power to drive you crazy. "Just Give Me a Reason," with a guest appearance from fun. lead singer Nate Ruess, is tolerable, but it's the kind of song you'll stop listening to in a few weeks.
What school would give P!nk her Ph.D. in love? She's best known for her bitter, aggressive kiss-offs to the men who have done her wrong, and the title track, on which the artist sings, "The truth about love is it's all a lie," doesn't provide much comfort.
The standout track on "The Truth About Love" doesn't appear until more than halfway through the album. "Beam Me Up," a slow ballad with country undertones, is the first song where listeners hear real, raw, believable emotions. P!nk's vocals are laid bare, and this is the only moment in which she sounds like someone who knows a thing or two about love. Backed by a violin and acoustic guitar, as well as killer female vocal harmonies, "Beam Me Up" is definitely worth a listen.
But don't expect the whole album to take a turn for the better. "Beam Me Up" is followed by the cheeky, cliche "Walk of Shame," on which the singer details evenings of hookups and mistakes made, promising she won't take any more walks of shame. It sounds like the most predictable choice for her next radio single to me. "Here Comes the Weekend" has a thumping beat, an annoying background yelling that mirrors the sound of sirens — as if the actual siren effects weren't enough — that pops up practically every 15 seconds and a cameo from Eminem in what may prove to be his biggest regret of his career.
P!nk redeems herself with the final track on "The Truth About Love" with another calm song titled "The Great Escape." P!nk has the vocal chops and a range that many pop singers could only dream of having and she proves it here. The song brings to mind pop and country powerhouses like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood and the few tender moments where P!nk explores her softer side.
P!nk isn't the songwriter she used to be. There are no equivalents to past hits such as "Get the Party Started," "So What" or "Stupid Girls" to be found here. The high-powered pop on "The Truth About Love" is not P!nk's best work and her "bad girl" persona is getting tired. P!nk should tone it down and show her soul more often.