Ebru Yildiz*
Since her turn-of-the-century breakthrough, Pink has carved a niche for herself as one of pop music’s most restless speakers — songs like “Family Portrait,” “Fuckin’ Perfect,” and “Dear Mr. President” seemed to spring from her experiences and musings Real time, and the conviction and vocal power with which she delivers them makes them even harder.
Pink’s ninth album, Trustfall, is named for the falls people take when trying to test the devotion of those around them – a fitting metaphor for the Pennsylvania-born multi-level superstar. Not only is she known for dashing around the rafters of the arena during her live shows doing aerial tricks; She’s also become someone listeners can rely on over the past two decades. Musically, she uses the overarching idea of ”pop” to apply her raspy, strong voice to other genres, while her words, which don’t shy away from irascible temper or eye-roll, lyrically feel like they’re coming from a real place, even if they are were written by other authors.
Consider the opener “When I Get There” by Trustfall. Written by Amy Wadge and David Hodges, the heartbreaking cut hit Pink’s transom as she mourned the loss of her father, who died in August 2021. Pink’s voice is crystal clear as she recalls details of her father’s life and wonders about what he’s doing in the next dimension – “You climbing trees up there and singing brand new tunes?” she muses. It’s a moving portrait of how people deal with grief, but Pink’s performance personalizes it and makes it more immediate.
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Across Trustfall’s 13 tracks, Pink swirls through a wide spectrum of musical styles – beat-forward electro on the title track, wheelchair-accessible disco-funk on the Max Martin and shellback-backed “Never Gonna Not Dance Again”, prickly pop-punk on the mit “Hate Me” thrown with the middle finger. “Feel Something,” on the other hand, is a smoldering mid-tempo ballad from which Pink’s words seem to spill out like a stream of consciousness as she grapples with the thought of being loved.
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Trustfall’s three acclaimed guests – Colorado folkies The Lumineers, Swedish Americana duo First Aid Kit and country traveler Chris Stapleton – each perform on songs that show how Pink would handle a country crossover. The answer, perhaps unsurprising given her gruff personality and raspy alto, is “very well, thanks.” The smoldering “Long Way to Go,” the collaboration with the Lumineers, and the penitent “Kids in Love,” which features a galloping acoustic guitar, are both excellent vehicles for her voice. Stapleton, who also duetted with Pink in 2019’s Hurts 2B Human, closes Trustfall with “Just Say I’m Sorry,” a standoff between two lovers who won’t leave their sides in an argument. Pink and Stapleton’s voices are well-matched, each possessing an edge that lends gravity to every disagreement that sparked the song’s central conflict. The song ends with Stapleton and Pink singing “I love you,” though the argument doesn’t seem entirely resolved. That’s the way life goes sometimes, and Pink’s appeal comes from her ability to transform the mundane into stereo-ready.