by Dianne Austin
It's been a week for romance and excitement. Roses, kisses, chocolates, and hearts full of love abound.
We should be seeing red, but everywhere you look—there's Pink! The fabulous Pop Icon/Grammy nominee began her “The Truth About Love” tour this past week and Examiner was there last night at the Staples Center in Hollywood to see the Mega-Mama show off all of her tricks to a sold-out crowd.
This show was every bit as exciting and titillating as her last tour (Funhouse, 2009) with lots of surprises popping up throughout the night. Pink continued to thrill everyone with a circus-like act that boasts daredevil antics--hanging from ropes from above and flying through the air on trapeze-like devices while performing her songs! “Rock Star” had her rolling and tumbling with gymnastic-gyrations between the lines of two suspension wires while the spotlight followed her traversing the entire length of the arena's upper stratosphere air-space!!!
But beyond all of this, Pink exhibits some finely-tuned vocal and dance skills this time around. The fact that she's continued to push the envelope in both of these areas first became evident on her latest CD, The Truth About Love, and while watching the video that features the single “Try” from that same album.
The singer/songwriter and over-all entertainer extraordinaire has reached new heights with her voice on this latest CD, and the excitement she creates on the album transfers ten-fold to the tour.
Before, we would recognize her husky alto tones the minute they hit the air waves because Pink's vocals were consistently in that lower range which made her Rock style all the more effective and inimitable. No one ever faulted her for that. The throaty, sexy voice was pure Pink and it worked to define her as a performer.
But the lovely and fabulous fact about this young woman is that she keeps exploring new and uncharted territory with her voice, and on songs like “Just Give Me a Reason,” “Beam Me Up,” and "The Great Escape," Pink achieves an electrifying sound that she's never produced before. Can we still tell it's Pink? Without a doubt. Does it break the bonds and limits but still keep the integrity of her style intact? Absolutely. And that's why it's so satisfying.
During last night's performance, besides the enormously wide-ranging vocals, it was obvious that Pink has decided, this time around, to also build on dance moves. As a youth, she engaged in gymnastics, so Pink shows basic and innate flexibility and strength in her movements. Talent and interest in this area later developed into the training she undertook to incorporate gymnastic and acrobatic moves into her shows. Only lately with her “Try” video (and as evidenced on the 2012 American Music Awards program) has she shown us that she's taken her movement technique to higher and more serious dance ground. Pink now proves that she can perform some extremely difficult but incredibly graceful lyrical dance moves. In a nutshell, she is becoming quite the well-rounded, more “legitimate” entertainer.
Pink may be irreverent, rebellious, outrageous, and naughty (which is a culmination of a somewhat scandalous past, and which also formed the persona and entertainer she is today) but she's enormously talented and oh so hot! Unlike other Pop idols, the Rocker is not just a talented vocalist. The element that makes her so different—the thing that has her standing miles above every other Pop music Diva—is the fact that she is so multifaceted. Now, each of those facets has been honed to a fine and polished level of ability.
Pink doesn't only write, sing, and play her songs, she HANGS and FLYS with them. She doesn't only exhibit a knowledge of all the latest and greatest moves, she studies and masters fundamental dance concepts and techniques. She doesn't just continue to sing each new song in that same undeniable style, she goes on to push herself to new heights with her vocals and go to places she's never gone before. Pink is not only bold; she's brave, and the risks she takes pay off.
In an interview she did with People Magazine, when she commented on the hair-raising, acrobatic performance she gave at the 2010 Grammy Awards, Pink said, "I thought ... I was going to fall on my nude butt, but I worked it out. I would say that no one ever has another excuse to lip sync again."
At Staples Center last night Pink sang her duet with Nate Reuss (from Fun--with Pink on the stage, Nate on the monitor) and danced an interpretive dance with a friend that showed off a newly-acquired knowledge and ability for more traditional dance fundamentals and techniques. Pink now shines as a real dancer as well.
Motherhood seems to agree with her. The big question (over the last year) from her audiences has been—will she be able to top herself now after giving birth to her baby girl Willow? Well, at the ripe old age of 34, Pink"s comment last night in the taped segment was, “I'm no spring chicken you know!” This said with nose wrinkled and grin impish, but somehow, it came across serious as hell.
However, the concern that a more mature age and the effects of child-bearing may deter her in any way were quickly dispelled after just a few minutes of the show elapsed. Pink's energy, stamina, excitement, and talent come across even better than before and L.A. fans left the venue singing her songs with an elated look on their faces and the word “awesome” coming from their mouths.
It's just that kind of rebel enthusiasm and attitude that Pink's always portrayed, to make everyone realize that she'll continue to keep the big stretch and the long reach way out in front. She's the reminder that if life ever throws a curve to try to push us back, we just "gotta get up and try, try, try!"
