Pink's addictive tract

It is a unique category in music awards. After all, who has heard of the Grammys or the American Music Awards giving out a trophy for the Most Addictive Track of the Year? But we are talking MTV here and this channel has been known to push the envelope as far as it can. So finding the Most Addictive Track among hit tunes is right up its alley.

Given the way the music business works, there is a great deal of truth to the importance that MTV attaches to addictive tracks. Logically speaking, addictive here is synonymous with catchy and catchy or addictive songs become hits because listeners feel compelled to keep on listening to them all the time, even if only inside their heads. And the Most Addictive Track at the recent MTV European Music Awards is So What by Pink.

This came as a surprise because So What was up against very strong songs from last summer. Viva La Vida by Coldplay, Mercy by Buffy, I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry and All Summer Long by Kid Rock. I thought the winner would be I Kissed a Girl, which is daring and can be truly addicting. But So What came along and it turned out to be more addictive. The tune rocks and pops with its catchy chorus and typical Pink attitude. Besides as we have already seen previously Pink is a competent songwriter who like MTV is unafraid to pull out all the stops. Concerned parents might want to check this one out before setting Pink loose on their kids.

Fans though have no need to worry about Perry’s losing out on this one. Nominee and later winner Britney Spears was a no-show. So aside from a misty-eyed Sir Paul McCartney who accepted his Ultimate Legend Award from U2’s Bono, Katy was the star of the MTV EMA held last Nov. 6 in Liverpool, England and telecast here live via satellite last Friday morning. She opened the show singing I Kissed a Girl sitting on a giant chapstick. She also hosted the event in an Obama print dress and then bested Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Duffy and OneRepublic to bag the New Act of the Year Award. Not bad for a new girl on the block.

The honor roll at the MTV EMA reads like this:

Blackout, Britney Spears – Album of the Year

Tokio Hotel – Headliner of the Year

So What, Pink – Most Addictive Track of the Year

Katy Perry – New Act of the Year

Britney Spears – Act of 2008

Kanye West – Ultimate Urban of the Year

30 Seconds to Mars – Rock Out

Rick Astley – Best Act Ever

Emre Aydin of Turkey – Europe’s Favorite Act

A Beautiful Lie, 30 Seconds to Mars – Video Star

There were really few surprises about the results. Britney certainly deserves it. So does Pink. The only question that a lot of those who saw the show have is about Rick Astley besting Britney, Christina Aguilera, Green Day, Tokio Hotel and U2 to win the Best Act Ever Award. Now I have never seen Astley perform live and only those who have can say if he is really the Best Act ever.

But back to Pink. This win ushers in another exciting time for the pop diva. In fact, Funhouse, the album where So What comes from was an instant hit when it hit the markets last week. It was the Hot Shot Entry in the Top 200 Albums as it made its debut at No. 2. As of this writing, So What has gone down from No. 1 peak position to No. 3 in Billboard’s Hot 100 but it has already been in the list for a long 11 weeks.

Since the MTV EMA was held in the UK I thought I’d check out the UK pop charts. And there was Pink again. So What is ranked No. 1 after Hero by the X-Factor finalists and The Promise by Girls Aloud. Would you believe that Pink is doing even better in the UK Albums list where her Funhouse is enshrined at No. 1. And it is not only in the UK and US that Pink is doing great. So too in the whole of Europe where So What is second only to Infinity by the Guru Josh Project.

Of course, news like these are par for the course with every Pink CD. What is not is that despite the title and the rocking rhythm of So What, Funhouse is actually a serious, well-thought out production with lots of meaningful ballads rendered in Pink’s surprisingly expressive voice. Check this out.