P!nk and her latest album Beautiful Trauma is a refreshing change of pace in a music industry where petty fights and outrageous publicity stunts are the norm. Add to the mix her activism efforts, transparent image and blunt opinions, and you have someone worth more admiration than your typical pop star.
The first rekindling of my flame for P!nk sparked when she accepted the Michael Jackson video Vanguard Award at the 2017 VMAs. In her speech, she divulges into a story about how her six-year-old daughter, Willow, said she felt like the ugliest girl in school.
But the heartbreaking tale becomes uplifting when P!nk explains how her androgynous image doesnt stop her from being her true authentic self someone who has a record of chart-toppers and has managed to sell out arenas all over the world for years.
We dont change; we take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl, P!nk said. We help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty.
This acceptance speech wasnt the usual song and dance, but it also wasnt a direct criticism of some societal issue. The audience understands the message, and its all the more powerful because of her personal anecdote. She did so in such a graceful, endearing and P!nk-esque way, its no wonder shes an icon.
P!nks honesty about her home life is also worthy of acknowledgment. Shes willing to open up about her 11-year marriage and how monogamy is work, and that takes guts. Nobody leads a perfect life, and celebrities are no exception, so openly discussing private matters in interviews and through her music is monumental.
Added to her list of skills is P!nks ability to shed misconceptions about Hollywood glamour while still looking beyond glamorous. How she achieved this balance is beyond me, but its also present in her music. With every heartbreak song comes a pump-up jam, and that notion is reflective of the course of life. Tragedy and hardship is always closely followed by a reminder of why life is worth living.
Between promoting important messages, P!nk still manages to have fun. Her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon featured her singing autumn-themed renditions of well-known songs. She also performed her hits on SNL last week, including What About Us and Beautiful Trauma.
Time and time again, P!nk proves to go above and beyond her expected duties in terms of musical prowess, her athleticism at concerts and influential public statements. She isnt afraid of this beautifully traumatic world, and now, neither am I.
