‘Beautiful Trauma’ is P!nk’s seventh studio album. Its lead single, “What About Us,” released on August 10.
By Nicolas Jozefczyk | Staff Writer
10/19/17
On Friday, Oct. 13, P!nk dropped her seventh studio album, Beautiful Trauma, ending her five-year hiatus since The Truth About Love. Her newest creation gives P!nk fans exactly what they want: killer, powerful vocals, pure, unadulterated honesty and a just a hint of goofiness.
Beautiful Trauma is a bit different than P!nk’s other albums, which is a surprise, but a pleasant one. P!nk usually pulls elements from pop-rock/punk into her music, but her tone shifted to add some more pop, R&B and soul. This slight variation focuses on her musical fluidity and is something that deserves to be highlighted.
Anyone who has followed P!nk, even for a little while, knows that her vocals are impeccable. Beautiful Trauma perfectly solidifies that belief even more. From one song to the next, P!nk’s voice shifts from a powerful rock vibe to a sultry tone that hits every note without resorting to falsetto.
“You Get My Love” is the best example of her stellar singing ability. The minimal instrumentation — featuring only piano accompaniment — highlights the true vocal prowess on-display. Switching between a lower voice into a higher register seamlessly offers the listener the ability to stay immersed without noticing a moment of inconsistency.
One thing that P!nk has never wavered from is her opinions, a habit she has even poked fun at herself for, saying that her mouth gets her in trouble multiple times. That honesty is something really appreciated by P!nk’s fans, and Beautiful Trauma continues her venerated tradition by featuring the singer’s brazen attitude. However, the album, unlike past endeavors, focuses more on her marriage — the good, the bad and the ugly.
Most of the songs on the album tell a tale of marital hopes and struggles. Considering that P!nk now has a family, hearing how it affects her music is interesting, to say the least. She lyrically conveys emotions and experiences that not many pop artists have been a part of themselves, adding another layer of intrigue to the album.
In true P!nk fashion, “Beautiful Trauma,” the title track of the album, references her relationship with her husband, Carey Hart. The song makes not-so-subtle mentions of two situations that P!nk has not been shy to share with the world: her slicing Hart’s tires and Hart punching a hole in their house’s wall. It was a risky move to resurface these struggles, but adding them brings together real-life experiences that show her and Hart’s love might not be picture perfect but is worth it in the long run.
A decent amount of the songs have an underlying feeling of longing, but the one that is the saddest and most blatant is “But We Lost It.” The ballad is the epitome of songs about falling out of love. The instrumentation is just a piano, which, as in “You Get My Love,” centers all attention around P!nk’s tearjerking vocals. As a listener, the honest want for love in her voice is remarkably apparent. Clearly this piece came from a low point in her marriage, and while listening to the song, the imagery paints the perfect picture of slow, painful heartbreak for the listener.
Taking a step away from the bleakness of the album, P!nk has some fun with Eminem on the silliest track, “Revenge.” Eminem is the only feature on Beautiful Trauma and has worked with her multiple times in the past, making this song highly-anticipated. The melody has a bouncy vibe with both artists rapping verses, and an overall playful tone permeates the track. “Revenge” is easy to chuckle at due to its entertaining lyrics and subtle call-and-responses.
P!nk brought everything to the table in Beautiful Trauma. There is nothing she shies away from, using her platform to talk about the true highs and lows of love and letting everyone know that not everything is just butterflies and rainbows. The album is impressive and is a remarkable addition to her repertoire not only lyrically, but also in showcasing her ability to sing flawlessly in multiple genres and registers. Beautiful Trauma is phenomenal and deserves to be listened to by any music fan that appreciates a singer with authentic talent.
