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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:15:58 GMT
 Her current Metacritic score stands at 71 with 9 reviews in. Post the official critic reviews here if you find one! I thought it would be nice to have them all here to discuss. |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:17:48 GMT
The latest: PINK’S ‘TRUSTFALL’ IS HER MOST RESISTLESS WORK YET Trustfall is the most vulnerable pop star Pink has been in years in a way that doesn’t sound formulated but rather honest and reflective. By Jeffrey Davies / 22 February 2023 In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, pop singer Pink revealed that, a decade ago, she was told that having children at that stage in her life would ruin her career. But she believes that having children helped soften her to the world, at least the part of her that had been “misundaztood” until then. “I think that’s when my career began, really,” she said of becoming a mother while working in pop music. “Just doing music wasn’t enough for me. I was so lonely. It’s a very lonely business.” Sadly, in an industry and genre still obsessed with youth, her last three records have been the subject of mixed reviews, claiming her recent work lacks the punk gravitas present in her earlier albums. Where Beautiful Trauma was a stellar comeback record after a five-year hiatus, critics found fault with its songs about marriage, compromise, and growing up. Hurts to 2B Human felt rushed and calculated, a record about coming of age as a mother in times of political turbulence that unfortunately lacked originality but still felt on brand for Pink. Trustfall, her latest studio effort, is the most vulnerable she has been in years in a way that doesn’t sound formulated but honest and reflective. The record immediately sets the stage for vulnerability with its opening track, “When I Get There”, a grief anthem dedicated to her father’s death intensely reminiscent of the singer’s I’m Not Dead or Funhouse eras. Where Trustfall’s lead single, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again”, seemed to justify its reception as more forgettable dance-pop, the album’s title track solidifies the record as one of “low-level trauma”, as Pink characterizes it. “Close your eyes and leave it all behind,” she proclaims amidst EDM production that begs to be put on repeat. It’s not necessarily that pop singers grow up and get boring as the fandom chooses to believe. It’s that singers like Pink must be fully in their element to get their point across, which she is on Trustfall. Aside from its first two singles, Trustfall consists mainly of ballads reflecting on life, loss, and the reality of living in an age of anxiety. She reminds her listener that heavy feelings are just turbulence while also grappling with her struggles with intimacy. “Wouldn’t you think by now I’d be ready?” she asks on “Feel Something”, a poignant examination of how life doesn’t magically solve itself by growing up and starting a family. Pink gets nostalgic and emotional elsewhere on “Kids in Love” or “Our Song”, but offerings like “Hate Me” make Trustfall sound like a full-circle moment for the singer in ways that Hurts 2B Human was just a collection of songs about how life is hard. “I’m the perfect bad guy,” she observes. “I’m the villain you made me / I’m the monster, you need me / Or it’s all on you.” It’s the most honest and reflective she’s been in years, subtly chronicling her coming of age as the antithesis of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in the early aughts to her continued presence in social activism through her lyrics and social media. Just last weekend, she clapped back at a Twitter troll trying to ignite shade between Pink and Xtina. “I’m zero percent interested in your fucking drama,” she wrote. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little busy selling.” She then clarified selling to not only mean tickets and albums but “bake sales and shit” as well. Indeed, years after outgrowing her manufactured role as the “not like other girls” figure in pop music and culture, Pink has matured into a musician seldom other female pop singers reach. So what if we fall, as she suggests? Would life get easier? I want to think so. RATING 8 www.popmatters.com/pink-trustfall-album-review |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:22:43 GMT
Trustfall Review by Neil Z. Yeung [-] Bouncing back after the relative stumbles of her late-2010s efforts, P!nk recaptures her spirit and voice on the cathartic Trustfall. Her ninth studio effort overall, the set is a motivational therapy session that hinges on themes of change, self-acceptance, loss, and love, reminding listeners (and herself) that everything will be OK if there's faith in the face of fear and the unknown. Buoyed by this spiritually liberated energy, P!nk pushes her vocals to higher highs with shiver-inducing results, backed by some of the most thoughtful messages in her catalog. As with past releases, she blends sentimental moments of introspection with grand pop highs, tugging the heartstrings one minute and inspiring physical release the next. Dancing and singing through tough times, P!nk delivers the album's gospel message on the pulsing title track, a synth-washed, Robyn-esque pop sparkler where she implores, "Picture a place where it all doesn't hurt/Where everything's safe and it doesn't get worse." The equally uplifting Max Martin/Shellback entry "Never Gonna Not Dance Again" is one of those euphoric singalong crowd-pleasers that is custom-built for an eternity at school dances and weddings, while the fast-paced, '80s synth blast "Runaway" pushes the urgency to the fore and the rollicking "Hate Me" jolts the album to life with a punk-rocking gang chorus, sinister riffs, and abrasive percussion. These more immediate earworms are scattered throughout to appease anyone looking for a radio-ready hit, but they cede the bulk of the album to more reflective fare that provides a different kind of spiritual nourishment. On the wistful "When I Get There," she mourns her late father with tender vulnerability atop contemplative piano and string backing, while the pensive "Lost Cause" boosts the same piano/strings approach with dramatic choral harmonies. The Lumineers, First Aid Kit, and Chris Stapleton make appearances across a trio of folk- and country-tinged tracks, but the spotlight shines brightest whenever P!nk is at the fore. Additional midtempo standouts include the stunning "Last Call," which laughs the pain away atop bittersweet twang and a swelling chorus, and the stirring piano ballad "Our Song," which packs a powerful gut-punch with a show-stopping vocal performance destined to bring the house down. In the end, Trustfall leans firmly on these powerful moments of personal growth, sidestepping P!nk's sometimes headstrong brattiness in favor of a confident defiance that speaks to triumph and maturity in a way that she hasn't done before. www.allmusic.com/album/trustfall-mw0003870965 |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:23:51 GMT
Pink Tackles Hard Truths As She Whirls Through Genres On ‘Trustfall’ The singer deals with the struggles of everyday life as she whirls through genres on her ninth album. BY MAURA JOHNSTON FEBRUARY 17, 2023 SINCE HER BREAKTHROUGH at the turn of the century, Pink has carved out a niche as one of pop’s most restless real talkers—songs like “Family Portrait,” “Fuckin’ Perfect,” and “Dear Mr. President” have seemed to bubble out of her experiences and ruminations in real time, and the conviction and vocal power with which she delivers them makes them hit harder. Pink’s ninth album, Trustfall, is named after the plunges people take when they want to test the devotion of those around them—a fitting metaphor for the Pennsylvania-born superstar on multiple levels. Not only is she known for zipping around arena rafters while performing aerial tricks at her live shows; she’s also become someone who listeners can rely on over the past two decades. Musically, she uses the overarching idea of “pop” as a way for her to apply her raspy, strong voice to other genres, while lyrically, her words, which don’t shy away from irascibility or eye-rolling, feel like they’re coming from a genuine place, even when they’re penned by other writers. Take Trustfall’s opener “When I Get There.” The heartstring-tugging cut, which was written by Amy Wadge and David Hodges, came across Pink’s transom while she was grieving her father, who passed away in August 2021. Pink’s voice is bell-clear as she recalls details of her dad’s life and wonders about what he’s doing in the next dimension—”Are you up there climbing trees, singing brand new melodies?” she muses. It’s a stirring portrait of how people deal with grief, but Pink’s performance personalizes it, making it more immediate. Over Trustfall’s 13 tracks, Pink whirls through a wide range of musical styles—beat-forward electro on the title track, roller-rink-ready disco-funk on the Max Martin and Shellback-assisted “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” spiky pop-punk on the middle-finger-flinging “Hate Me.” “Feel Something,” meanwhile, is a smoldering midtempo ballad, Pink’s words spilling out in a seemingly stream-of-consciousness manner as she grapples with the idea of being loved. Trustfall’s three credited guests—Colorado folkies The Lumineers, Swedish Americana duo First Aid Kit, and country traveler Chris Stapleton—each appear on songs that show how Pink would handle a country crossover. The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly given her scrappy personality and raspy alto, is “very well, thank you.” The simmering “Long Way to Go,” the Lumineers collaboration, and the rueful “Kids in Love,” which features a galloping acoustic guitar, are both excellent vehicles for her voice. Stapleton, who also dueted with Pink on 2019’s Hurts 2B Human, closes out Trustfall with “Just Say I’m Sorry,” a standoff between two lovers who won’t back down from their sides of a fight. Pink and Stapleton’s voices are well-matched, with each possessing an edge that adds gravity to whatever disagreement sparked the song’s central conflict. The song ends with Stapleton and Pink singing “I love you” to one another, although the argument doesn’t seem to be fully resolved. That’s how life goes sometimes, though, and Pink’s appeal comes from her ability to turn the everyday into the stereo-ready. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-pink-trustfall-1234681276/ |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:25:10 GMT
With TRUSTFALL, P!NK Is as Personal as Ever, But Takes No Risks We don't mind seeing the softer side of the oft-rebellious pop star -- but does it have to be so boring? Cady Siregar February 17, 2023 | 10:45am ET P!NK hardly needs introduction. Her breakthrough record Missundaztood cemented her as a pop star with a rebellious edge, and her catchy, guitar-inflected pop-rock was rife with tongue-in-cheek humor. Even when she aligned herself deeper within the pop canon with her later albums I’m Not Dead, Funhouse, and The Truth About Love, her songs — along with her signature scratchy vocals — always sounded like a fierce middle finger to the world. TRUSTFALL, then, the latest release from the artist born Alecia Beth Moore, puts P!NK’s sensitive side front and center. Intensely personal, P!NK wrote much of TRUSTFALL (out Friday, February 17th) after several major events occurred in her life, namely the death of her father and her children overcoming Covid-19. TRUSTFALL is still a pop record at heart, though P!NK embraces a singer-songwriter approach in a substantial manner. There are a few piano-driven ballads on the record, and her folkier, soul-oriented songs are beefed up by some of the genre’s finest: The Lumineers, First Aid Kit, and Chris Stapleton. P!NK has always written from a place of vulnerability. Even her biggest hits like “Just Like a Pill” and “Don’t Let Me Get Me” examined painful relationships in relation to drug abuse and a sense of self-hatred due to her involvement in the music industry, respectively. TRUSTFALL, however, is her most overt attempt at storytelling and introspection, and it yields mixed results; the album wastes no time in letting the listener be aware of its very personal nature. Opener “When I Get There” is dedicated to her father as she imagines him in heaven, and how the thought of reuniting with him one day gives her comfort: “Is there a place you go/ To watch the sunset and oh/ Is there a song you just can’t wait to share?/ Yeah I know you’ll tell me when I get there.” It’s a sweet, and certainly touching sentiment, but like a few other select tracks on TRUSTFALL, it risks sounding overtly saccharine. The somber “Turbulence” is precisely about, you guessed it — turbulence — and the kind of anxiety and discomfort when trying to deal with difficult situations: “It’ll take a little longer to get home/ Baby, all we’ve got is time.” The piano-centric and sombre “Long Way to Go,” featuring The Lumineers, teeters on being one of the more hackneyed tracks of the record with its overt earnestness and sincerity. The First Aid Kit-assisted “Kids in Love,” an upbeat, acoustic folk song about everyday securities and the cynicism that comes with learning from them, fares slightly better. Its warmth does not drag it down, but instead reinforces it — closing tracks “Lost Cause,” “Feel Something,” and “Our Song,” however, don’t quite manage to achieve this balance as successfully. TRUSTFALL isn’t all piano ballads. “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” is a dance-pop number about looking ahead to golden skies after the storm, and the understanding that dark times will not be permanent. It is catchy, and quite a bop (though it matches the kind of saccharine nature of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, as taken from the Trolls soundtrack. Determine if this is a flattering comparison or not at your own will). “Hate Me,” on the other hand, sounds like P!NK attempting to rediscover her brattier, edgier pop-rock roots, though the lyrics lack the kind of biting cleverness of her previous material, and instead coming off as slightly kitschy: “So hate me, hate me/ I’m the villain you made me, made me… Oh no, here we go/ Welcome to the shitshow… I’m not your bitch, wanna lock me up like an evil witch.” It’s a far cry from, “And I swear you’re just like a pill/ Instead of makin’ me better/ You keep makin’ me ill.” All said, TRUSTFALL is a solid entry in the singer’s now-expansive discography, if one that shows she’s playing it safe. Nine albums in, P!NK is still wearing her emotions on her sleeve, keen to embrace a deep sense of vulnerability as she processes some extremely difficult events. But when you have tracks called “Turbulence” which are literally about emotional turbulence, trying to radiate emotional honesty without the risk of coming off as slightly banal is something even the best pop stars find hard to do. P!NK is also set to tour this summer. Grab tickets here. Essential Tracks: “Kids in Love feat. First Aid Kit,” “Runaway,” “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” consequence.net/2023/02/pink-trustfall-album-review/ |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:26:36 GMT
Pink, Trustfall ★★★☆☆ Should you fall backwards into the arms of Pink’s discography, you’re sure to be caught by a capable hit or two. The American star, real name Alecia Moore, has been releasing solid pop songs for over two decades: a consistent artist, if not always an innovative one. On her ninth album, Trustfall, Pink puts her trust in her collaborators. She has writing credits on fewer than half of the tracks, and a team of songwriters and producers provide the rest of the hooks, melodies, and melodramatic lyrics – including dance producer du jour Fred Again, who helps turn the title track into a robustly bland hit. In fact, familiarity defines much of the album, which ticks off many of the generic pop styles that prosper well on streaming playlists: elastic disco on wincingly-titled Never Gonna Not Dance Again, by-the-books pop rock on Hate Me, Runaway’s chugging 1980s synths. There’s nothing wrong with these songs, exactly – innocuous fare that’s catchier than you want it to be – but they’re a far cry from Pink’s attitude-laden early hits: misfit anthems about depression and divorce that elbowed her a place in the mainstream. Opening piano ballad When I Get There offers a moving tribute to the recent loss of her father, and a similar restraint succeeds on Turbulence, a track propelled by a rocky strum that never nosedives into the bombast it threatens. First Aid Kit work their usual magic on warm, tumbling number Kids in Love – a welcome antidote to the anodyne Lumineers feature on the preceding track. But Trustfall dwindles into formulaic ballad territory, so that when Pink sings “now it’s just another song on the dancefloor” on the penultimate track, she’s uncomfortably close to the truth. No leap of faith required for this bunch of competent, dull songs. Kate French-Morris www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/best-albums-week-caroline-polachek-pink-skrillex-inhaler/ |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:27:15 GMT
Pink: Trustfall review – playful business as usual (RCA) With her supple vocals outshining her material, the singer sticks to a tried-and-tested formula on this hit-and-miss record Michael Cragg Sun 19 Feb 2023 13.00 GMT For all of Pink’s rebellious spirit, her recent albums have followed a familiar pattern. A mixture of rustic ballads, pogoing guitar stomps and pepped-up pop anthems, usually co-written by a Swede, they’ve tended to blur into one. On Trustfall, her ninth album, she takes a few pleasing tangents – the pulsating, Robyn-like title track; the country sway of the lovely Last Call – but for the most part it’s business as usual. The key element, as ever, is Pink’s voice. As supple as a gymnast, she anchors saccharine opener When I Get There’s sense of mourning, and is as comfortable navigating the Blinding Lights-esque Runaway as she is galloping through Hate Me, which suggests a less mumbly the Strokes but with a feminist twist: “I’m not your bitch, wanna light me up like an evil witch,” runs the chorus. It’s a shame, then, that the material isn’t always up to scratch. Turbulence is as deep as any self-help Instagram post; Lost Cause is Adele-lite; and your enjoyment of DayGlo single Never Gonna Not Dance Again may depend on your sugar tolerance. Patchy but playful in places, Trustfall is reliably Pink. www.theguardian.com/music/2023/feb/19/pink-trustfall-review-playful-business-as-usual |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:28:36 GMT
Billed as Alicia Moore’s most personal album to date, the guest list on her ninth features First Aid Kit and The Lumineers Pink - Trustfall After over 20 years, it’s fair to say we know what we’re getting from Alicia Moore, aka Pink, these days. She’s become the expert at radio-friendly pop anthems, albeit with a bit of swearing thrown in to keep that edge. And while Trustfall, her ninth album, isn’t exactly more of the same, there aren’t really too many risks being taken. Trustfall is billed as Pink’s most personal album to date, coming as it does after the death of her father in April 2021, and experiencing a serious bout of covid together with her infant son. The former is addressed right at the start of the album in When I Get There, a touching piano ballad imagining her father in a bar in heaven, sitting with friends. It’s a song that will resonate with anyone going through the grieving process. Elsewhere, the album is a mix of upbeat pop (the title track, reminiscent of Robyn, is a pulsating electro-anthem that’s up there with some of her best work), and some folky ballads. The lengthy guest list too has some reliable names – such as regular collaborators Max Martin and Shellback together with more surprising names, such as First Aid Kit and The Lumineers. Producer Fred Again, best known for his work with Ed Sheeran, ensures things are very much kept to a Pink template though. When it works, you can see why she’s been so successful over the last couple of decades. Never Gonna Not Dance Again, despite the clunky double-negative title, is a riotously catchy disco number that you can well imagine having the same sort of longevity as Justin Timberlake‘s Can’t Stop The Feeling, with irresistible couplets like “I want my life to be a Whitney Houston song, I got all good luck and zero fucks”. Hate Me is also a good example of what she does best, a sneery pop-punk number bursting with energy, while the reflective ballad Kids In Love employs the Swedish sibling duo First Aid Kit for a lovely nostalgic glow which feels genuinely warming. There is though also a fair amount of filler to wade through in Trustfall’s 13 tracks. Runaway is full of The Weeknd-esque shiny synths, but the song itself is pretty anonymous, while Long Way To Go, the collaboration with The Lumineers, is a plodding duet that never really gets going. Turbulence, meanwhile, compares the rough patches in a relationship to a rocky plane journey, and is as wobbly as its title. Her voice can still hit impressive heights, as the dramatic ballad Our Song demonstrates amply, but mostly Trustfall is Pink playing it safe. Which, given the success she’s achieved with this formula in the past, isn’t the unwisest course to take. There’s a truly startling album lurking somewhere within Moore, but she’ll need to start taking a few more risks for that to be unleashed. www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/pink-trustfall |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:29:22 GMT
This one is funny P!nk’s TRUSTFALL is another unstimulating record from the department store hitmaker P!NK "TRUSTFALL" Release date: 17 February 2023 5/10 17 February 2023, 00:01 | Written by Sam Franzini (ALBUMS) (P!NK) P!nk is, debatably, one of this generation’s unintentionally funniest singers. Look no further than her 2010 greatest hits compilation to hear her brush off partners, singing “It’s just you and your hand tonight”; ponder philosophical inquiries like “Slam, slam, oh hot damn / What part of party don’t you understand?”; or craft genuinely entertaining songs about being a rock star and not giving a shit. All of this makes TRUSTFALL, her newest LP, such an unstimulating listen. Since the mid-2010s, P!nk songs have been deigned to a playlist of corporate fodder that selects inoffensive, bland slices of pop (think songs you’d hear at any department store). This is, for the most part, a fair attribution: singles like “What About Us,” “Just Like Fire,” and “Try” are peppy, anthemic hits with messages of self-preservation and resilience that could be applied to anyone. To her credit though, she started her career with gritty, detailed rock hits like “Family Portrait,” “Stupid Girls,” or “So What” – all containing verses with more personality than her newest albums, which do away with her verve and wit in favour of middling, just-okay tunes. TRUSTFALL is largely an introspective record – mostly quiet and tepid, breaking out in select moments. The title track picks up the pace with its pulsating synths, but is hindered by its anonymous lyricism (“What if we just fall? / I’m not going without you / And you’re not going alone”). The lead single, which wins the award for clunkiest title (“Never Gonna Not Dance Again”) has a video that sees her giving away her dog before her dancing shoes, against a disco beat seemingly employed because it’s trendy and not because she wants to. The closest she gets to her old heights is “Hate Me,” where she takes on the role of the villain with no real memory of when the culture made her the 'monster' she describes. Playing this role worked well for people like Taylor Swift, who was actively hated, but it’s hard to imagine anyone having any strong feelings about P!nk. “I’m not your bitch / Wanna light me up like an evil witch,” she sings anyway. The album’s lowest moments – where it truly feels like you’re listening to nothing – are ballads that plod along with a litany of guests such as The Lumineers, First Aid Kit, and Chris Stapleton. Themes of reckoning with the past and emotional vulnerability are all run into the ground, but the emotion picks up on “Lost Cause,” where she lays plain her need to be helped. “Tell me I’m a loser / Tell me I’m a stranger you don’t wanna see again / But don’t tell me I’m a lost cause,” she sings. Another touching cut is the opener, a tribute to her late dad, where she asks him, “Is there a song you just can’t wait to share? / Yeah, I know you’ll tell me when I get there.” But these sweet moments are undercut by tracks that could have been written by anyone – the most egregious offender, “Runaway,” is a lifeless track that even an infusion of 80s synths couldn’t help. There are no hits on TRUSTFALL. Zero songs you’d include on a list about how unique an artist P!nk is. One could guess she wants to rid herself of the party-girl persona in an attempt at maturity, but other artists late in their careers (Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Kate Bush) have grown while still evolving, their shock value and public interest stable with age. P!nk, on the other hand, has flattened over time. She mentions mid-way that she wants to “pop and lock to her records,” and it’s easy to surmise that the songs in question are all pretty far in the past. www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/pink-trustfall-another-unstimulating-record-from-the-department-store-hitmaker |
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Post by alrightsir on Feb 22, 2023 22:31:50 GMT
P!nk review, Trustfall: Pop artist’s mix of dance-pop, folk and rock feels oddly unsettled Outside of a few gems, the US artist’s ninth album tumbles down into a spiral of forgettable dance-pop, throwbacks and oddly chosen collaborations Roisin O'Connor 5 days ago P!nk does best when she makes and breaks her own rules I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice No one puts on a show like P!nk. Just look at last year’s tour, a carnival of flashing lights and giant balloons that culminated each night in the US pop artist somersaulting through the air while suspended on wires. She’s a born ringleader. Be that as it may, she’s sometimes missed the mark. Second LP Missundaztood, with its merging of DIY punk, garage, hip-hop and R&B asserted her dominance over pop princesses such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. But Try This, in 2003, tried too hard to replicate its predecessor’s success. P!nk does best when she makes and breaks her own rules. Perhaps that’s why Trustfall, her ninth record, falls short. It’s less a kaleidoscope than a clash of influences, with frenetic, thrashy pop-punk competing for attention against characterless dance music. This is P!nk’s latest collaboration with pop guru Max Martin, who worked on her 2019 record, Hurts 2B Human. Joining the fray is Martin’s fellow Swede, Shellback, and Ed Sheeran collaborators Johnny McDaid and Amy Wadge. It's a far cry from P!nk’s fruitful Noughties sessions with Linda Perry of alt-rock group 4 Non Blondes. Opener “When I Get There”, a tribute to her late father, is a rare reminder of P!nk’s emotional heft. Her distinctive contralto is as strong as ever – the stripped-back production allows her voice to do the work, as she sings over stark piano notes and a subtle acoustic guitar hook. Lyrically, too, the song touches on the qualities – vulnerability and self-criticism – that made her stand out at the very beginning of her career. “Will you save me a place with all those pearls of wisdom?” she asks. “Yeah I’ll make some mistakes and you’ll watch me as I live them/ Til I’m through, ’til I’m with you.” From there, though, Trustfall tumbles down into a spiral of forgettable dance-pop, throwbacks and oddly chosen collaborations. Folk-influenced ballads with The Lumineers and First Aid Kit sit uncomfortably when surrounded by dance-pop anthems such as the catchy but soulless “Runaway”, which is bogged down with just about every Eighties cliche – juddering synths, bright, funky keys, a reference to driving with the top down – going. The title track borrows too heavily from Robyn's playbook and consequently only serves to remind you that the “Dancing On My Own” artist does it better. “Hate Me” is a half-hearted nod to her pop-rock heyday, all scuzzy vocals and punkish guitars. Closer “Just Say I’m Sorry” with Chris Stapleton feels overwrought compared to their 2019 duet, “Love Me Anyway”. She fares better on the shimmering disco and funk-influenced number “Never Gonna Not Dance Again”, which has her twirling around a dancefloor in pure ecstasy. The production is lush and bold, melding a charisma-filled brass section with jubilant percussion, layered harmonies and a short but sweet sax solo. It’s one of her best songs to date. The record’s problem is that it never settles on one cohesive sound. P!nk has always chopped and changed; her best albums are usually ones that make a distinctive shift from the one before. Only now, she can’t seem to decide which direction she wants to take. Maybe she placed her trust in producers and co-writers who don’t quite understand what makes her so unique in the first place. www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/pink-review-trustfall-tracklist-max-martin-b2283645.html |
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Post by justlikeapill on Feb 23, 2023 0:32:16 GMT
With TRUSTFALL, P!NK Is as Personal as Ever, But Takes No Risks We don't mind seeing the softer side of the oft-rebellious pop star -- but does it have to be so boring? Cady Siregar February 17, 2023 | 10:45am ET P!NK hardly needs introduction. Her breakthrough record Missundaztood cemented her as a pop star with a rebellious edge, and her catchy, guitar-inflected pop-rock was rife with tongue-in-cheek humor. Even when she aligned herself deeper within the pop canon with her later albums I’m Not Dead, Funhouse, and The Truth About Love, her songs — along with her signature scratchy vocals — always sounded like a fierce middle finger to the world. TRUSTFALL, then, the latest release from the artist born Alecia Beth Moore, puts P!NK’s sensitive side front and center. Intensely personal, P!NK wrote much of TRUSTFALL (out Friday, February 17th) after several major events occurred in her life, namely the death of her father and her children overcoming Covid-19. TRUSTFALL is still a pop record at heart, though P!NK embraces a singer-songwriter approach in a substantial manner. There are a few piano-driven ballads on the record, and her folkier, soul-oriented songs are beefed up by some of the genre’s finest: The Lumineers, First Aid Kit, and Chris Stapleton. P!NK has always written from a place of vulnerability. Even her biggest hits like “Just Like a Pill” and “Don’t Let Me Get Me” examined painful relationships in relation to drug abuse and a sense of self-hatred due to her involvement in the music industry, respectively. TRUSTFALL, however, is her most overt attempt at storytelling and introspection, and it yields mixed results; the album wastes no time in letting the listener be aware of its very personal nature. Opener “When I Get There” is dedicated to her father as she imagines him in heaven, and how the thought of reuniting with him one day gives her comfort: “Is there a place you go/ To watch the sunset and oh/ Is there a song you just can’t wait to share?/ Yeah I know you’ll tell me when I get there.” It’s a sweet, and certainly touching sentiment, but like a few other select tracks on TRUSTFALL, it risks sounding overtly saccharine. The somber “Turbulence” is precisely about, you guessed it — turbulence — and the kind of anxiety and discomfort when trying to deal with difficult situations: “It’ll take a little longer to get home/ Baby, all we’ve got is time.” The piano-centric and sombre “Long Way to Go,” featuring The Lumineers, teeters on being one of the more hackneyed tracks of the record with its overt earnestness and sincerity. The First Aid Kit-assisted “Kids in Love,” an upbeat, acoustic folk song about everyday securities and the cynicism that comes with learning from them, fares slightly better. Its warmth does not drag it down, but instead reinforces it — closing tracks “Lost Cause,” “Feel Something,” and “Our Song,” however, don’t quite manage to achieve this balance as successfully. TRUSTFALL isn’t all piano ballads. “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” is a dance-pop number about looking ahead to golden skies after the storm, and the understanding that dark times will not be permanent. It is catchy, and quite a bop (though it matches the kind of saccharine nature of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, as taken from the Trolls soundtrack. Determine if this is a flattering comparison or not at your own will). “Hate Me,” on the other hand, sounds like P!NK attempting to rediscover her brattier, edgier pop-rock roots, though the lyrics lack the kind of biting cleverness of her previous material, and instead coming off as slightly kitschy: “So hate me, hate me/ I’m the villain you made me, made me… Oh no, here we go/ Welcome to the shitshow… I’m not your bitch, wanna lock me up like an evil witch.” It’s a far cry from, “And I swear you’re just like a pill/ Instead of makin’ me better/ You keep makin’ me ill.” All said, TRUSTFALL is a solid entry in the singer’s now-expansive discography, if one that shows she’s playing it safe. Nine albums in, P!NK is still wearing her emotions on her sleeve, keen to embrace a deep sense of vulnerability as she processes some extremely difficult events. But when you have tracks called “Turbulence” which are literally about emotional turbulence, trying to radiate emotional honesty without the risk of coming off as slightly banal is something even the best pop stars find hard to do. P!NK is also set to tour this summer. Grab tickets here. Essential Tracks: “Kids in Love feat. First Aid Kit,” “Runaway,” “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” consequence.net/2023/02/pink-trustfall-album-review/ That girl or guy can go fuck themselves. LOL. |
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