Pink: I'm Not Dead ...and I'm not just another big mouth bitch!
Once upon a time, there was this woman named Pink who was infamous for her negative comments on other celebrities like Britney Spears and such. That was how I recognized her in the first place. As time goes by, she has come quite a long way from a so-called big mouth (and fat too) bitch and here is her fourth studio album (coming out a year ago). Who knew I was gonna buy her product (judging from a few singles I like)and ended up in favor of it! I'm Not Dead kept me entertained for most of the time attending Work & Travel Program in USA where in the meantime lacked good music. Totally, it's a pop album with loads of catchy pop songs which are, of course, always entertaining. There is, however, something special about it.
Stupid Girls Everybody knows this big hit. It features fun dance beat, electric guitar roaring in the background, catchy chorus, sarcastic lyrics, cameo of a rapper, and Pink covered in soap bubble bites a sponge while doing a car wash. What more could you expect?! Who Knew, for me, is her best song yet. It's about her friend's death due to overdose. Everything in this song is all beautiful-- sentimental vocal, straightforward yet bittersweet lyrics and melodies, and the rock beat with graceful string arrangement. I've never been listening to anything so real.
Long Way To Happy gives this feeling of listening to Evanescence's music, Gothic and all. It's the most rock-ish track out of the album. You know, cursing lyrics, haunting piano, heavy guitar riffs and such. Quite predictable, right? Nobody Knows Bet you've never heard a conventional ballad like this from Pink before. The lyrics describe the despair and loneliness she keeps to herself, which I think considerably make sense since it's Pink's ballad not Celine Dion's or Whitney Houston's, so there's no drama here. Pink shows her voice's fullest potential, and I can say that she really has what it takes. The arrangement is also interesting (for a ballad). Definitely one of my favorite. Dear Mr. President Featuring Indigo Girls The title really drew my attention at first. In this song, Pink wishes she could take a walk with the president and "talk" to him. This must be the president's most horrible walk ever since this talk contains lots of irony and criticism. For me, its lyrics are too straightforward so there's nothing much needed for further interpretation. Indigo Girls' chorus and acoustic guitar make it sound more like a country song but it works somehow. I'm Not Dead The title track also sounds really country but with much more rock style. My favorite part is the chorus where Pink whispers in silence before all the music burst out loud again-- very very cool. Surprisingly, the lyrics are the most poetic one from the album. Another strong track which makes you feel free like you were alone in a vast desert.
'Cuz I Can reminds me of her Feel Good Time with so much going on in the song. Strong rock beat with a lot of noises and Pink's laugh and shout (and even bark!), along with boastful lyrics like 'I can fit your whole house in my swimming pool' make it sound very Pink. Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely) is probably Pink's cutest song ever. It's a plain pop-rock with damn catchy chorus about getting tired of her lover because they spend too much time together and asking him to leave her alone so that she can miss him. Awww... isn't this cute! U + Ur Hand is a huge success due to its strong vocal, catchy melodies, and outstanding lyrics about turning down a guy who wants to nail her and telling him to accomplish his task by himself. Wow! That's harsh. There's no denial that this song really sticks to your head. The more you listen to it, the more you want to replay it and sing along all over again. Runaway starts out mild and mellow with beautiful piano until all the instruments burst out in chorus. Pink says in the song that she's gonna runaway and be free so that she can be anything she wants. Like you're looking at the texture that vines paint on a wall-- you can see any picture you want it to be. The One That Got Away sounds like it was recorded live in one take. It once again sounds so country that you can imagine yourself watching Pink perform it in a bar somewhere in a suburb. I Got Money Now, surprisingly, is R&B. The most interesting thing about it is the lyrics. It's about a girl who has all the money in the world but lacks love. Pink's voice is so sad and lonely. There's not much to say about this track apart from it's one of my favorite. Conversations With My 13 Year Old Self is the last track with very interesting title. However, the lyrics, for me, are kinda hollow-- There's nothing more than describing how hard her life was when she was 13 (which I read somewhere she made the story up). It also features orchestra which makes it sound so epic. Still a fair closing track for the album. I Have Seen The Rain Featuring James Moore This hidden track doesn't appear on the back cover of the CD and I remember that I just found it after 4-5 times listening. This song was written by her father, James Moore, who gives the main vocal while his daughter, Alecia Moore (Pink), is a chorus. Mr. Moore was inspired by Vietnam War he attended and you can apparently feel this reality he brings to you through this song. Clearly, it's the most beautiful song off the album ...and there's no wonder why Pink grows up an artist like this.
I'm Not Dead is a damn fine pop album. What I didn't expect it to turn out to be is the country influence in many tracks. What did I expect? I just expected a bunch of catchy pop songs that stopped me from being bored when I was alone and had nothing to do. This expectation of mine was fulfilled, but I never expected it to be this good. I love how I can tell from the first listening that 'This is Pink's song.' since her signatures are all over it, no matter it's upbeat or ballad. This may be hard to believe because this is her first album I have, but the fact that her "sincerity" really shines out in every song does make her music so true and so Pink. That's the special thing about it, I guess.