IN the wake of her divorce from motocross racer Carey Hart, Pink has the blues. But the sassy pop singer isn’t boo-hooing her way through a box of Kleenex – there are no tears on her tracks.
With “Funhouse,” Pink made an in-your-face, strong-as-steel record that says the 29-year-old singer is ready to party. It’s a heartfelt yet upbeat dozen-song disc that demonstrates Pink’s stylistic range, from ballads to rockers to hip-hop – and a couple of tunes that sound suspiciously like country.
And she flips from one style to another with the cocky ease and assurance of a female Kid Rock – a fantastic effort heightened by emotional delivery and catchy melodies.
The album’s opener, “So What,” is the CD’s mission statement that living well is the best revenge. On that rollicking number, Pink taunts listeners with playful “na, na, na” ‘s and prioritizes her divorce with the declaration, “I’m still a rock star . . . and I don’t need you.”
That song screams single, as do seven other tracks. Another highlight is the loopy, circus-esque funk of “Bad Influence,” in which Pink proudly proclaims herself the “Instigator of Underwear” – as curious a title as being the pompatus of love.
While meanings in the lyrics are sometimes nebulous, what is clear is that this is one of the year’s best records.
PINK