Pink – ‘Raise Your Glass’
Someone, somewhere has been having a serious talk with the pop star we know as Pink (or occasionally P!nk). It may even have been Pink herself. But there will have been flip-charts, pie-charts and why-charts, sales figures have been cross examined, first-hand feedback from concert-goers have been pored over. A serious review has taken place, stock taken, issues raised. There may even have been a final report, the topic of which is this: “What is Pink for?”
And, after lengthy discussion of the core values of the brand, some examination of, say her ability to get a party started, her qualifications as a rock star, the bad-ass-ity of her attitude, the report concludes that every Pink single which leads the way towards a new album – and especially a Greatest Hits album – must abide by a few rules. This is simply a brand-management issue, a way of ensuring that loyal customers are rewarded for their diligence.
(Can’t show you the video. Cos of the ads.)
It must, for example, be a song about wild and crazy fun. But quite a self-conscious, myth-making song about wild and crazy fun. The kind of song about wild and crazy fun, in fact, that it would be totally impossible to write and perform if you were in the middle of having any kind of wild and crazy fun.
But is has to SOUND like wild and crazy fun. It should probably rock, or at least claim to rock. There must be a big celebratory chorus, something which brings everyone together in a glorious celebration of Brand Pink. There should be a few silly one-liners, rampant abuse of the English language, a few extravagant claims, a strutting self-regard mixed with a giggling self-depreciation, a sneer and a smile.
It should NOT attempt to push Brand Pink into any uncharted areas. That is why you release a second or third single off the new album. This is simply an exercise in rewarding the faithful, and reminding floating voters what Pink is all about in the year 2010. And what she is all about is the wild and the crazy and the fun.
And if that sounds more like the mission statement of Brand Ke$ha, well who do you think she got all the ideas from in the first place?
Download: Out now
www.pinkspage.com
BBC Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Milky Tea Kid says: “Good, but I have to say I preferred the diversity on her album I’m Not Dead.”
Robot Pigeon says: ” ‘Raise Your Glass’ is up there with some of her finest first-single-from-an-album releases such as ‘So What’ and ‘Stupid Girls’.”
View full post on BBC – Chart blog
