Pink is big with Just Give Me A Reason

I was very much surprised to find out that Just Give Me A Reason by Pink and Nate Ruess of the rock band fun. was not among the nominees in the Song of Summer category of the recent MTV Video Music Awards. 

This is nothing against the nominees, Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke; We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus; Get Lucky by Daft Punk; Come And Get It by Selena; and I Need Your Love by Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding or the eventual winner, Best Song Ever by One Direction.  It is just that I believe that the perky Just Give Me A Reason deserves to have been at least, nominated. 

The song, co-written and performed as a duet by Pink and Ruess, who sang lead in the big hit, We Are Young, is one of the cuts in her latest album The Truth About Love. Just Give Me A Reason is a huge hit although it is a pop ballad that is lighter than Pink’s usual pop/rock recordings. Surprising, too, is that while it sounds jaunty and light, it is actually a song about separation.

You know how it goes with warring partners. Just give me a reason why we should stay together or why not. Pink and Nate captured the situation head on. But the song is so infectious that people cannot help but sing along and sway to its rhythm. I know I do every time I hear it and it is very often. 

Not a day goes by when I do not hear Just Give Me a Reason on the radio. It is also a No. 1 seller worldwide and has a great video, which means you also get it often on MYX and MTV.  The VMAs gave it the Moonman for Best Collaboration, which was nice but I still think, it was one of this summer’s anthems. It is now considered one of the biggest selling songs of the year in the US.

This is why I am not at all surprised that one year after its release, the album The Truth About Love remains a big seller everywhere including out here. It was No. 3 at Astroplus just last week and that is higher in the list than even those Korean heartthrobs XOXO Kiss or Bruno Mars.

Hits abound nowadays, from Justin Timberlake to Selena Gomez but thanks to Just Give Me A Reason, Pink’s CD might just emerge as the song by which 2013 will be remembered. The song is on top of the year to date overall singles count. That means it tops the list over Taylor Swift’s 22 and Daniel Padilla’s Nasa Iyo Na Ang Lahat and many others.

The multi-faceted Pink, she is a singer, songwriter, actress, gymnast, etc., is no stranger to hit songs. In fact, Billboard Magazine named her the No. 1 Pop Musician of the Decade — 2000 to 2010. She has released seven albums Can’t Take Me Home, Missundaztood, Try This, I’m Not Dead, Funhouse, Greatest Hits…So Far and The Truth About Love.

She has sold nearly 50 million albums and 20 million digital tracks. Among her big hits were There You Go, Lady Marmalade with Lil Kim, Christina Aguilera and Mya from the soundtrack of the movie Moulin Rouge, Get The Party Started, Don’t Let Me Get Me, Just Like A Pill, Trouble, Stupid Girls, Who Knew, U + Ur Hand, Raise Your Glass and Fuckin’ Perfect. 

Fans love her for her uncompromising stance on issues she believes in. Of course, she also has this flair for writing songs in a style that is her very own. While other pop divas often come off sounding like each other, Pink from the beginning, has always been unmistakably, Pink. Okay, she uses a lot of strong words but these are never presented just for the sake of shock. Pink always has something to say in her song and she is not one to stint on her language.

The Truth About Love is no different. So watch the kids if you are squeamish about swearing. It has already yielded three hit singles. Aside from Just Give Me A Reason, there are Blow Me (One Last Kiss) and Try, also a light tempoed pop-ballad. A fourth one, True Love, a reggae-tinged collaboration with Lily Rose Cooper, formerly known as Lily Allen, has recently been released. 

As is the case with all of her albums, a lot of care obviously went into the production of The Truth About Love.  Every song segues smoothly into the next and the varied rhythms keep the mood upbeat throughout.  There is not one bad cut in the line-up and her singing is in great form throughout. 

Come to think of it. Pink is not usually mentioned among the present crop of talented singers, although her vocals are always excellent. Maybe this is because she is a rocker and most of the good girl singers nowadays do R&B. I guess this is also what happens when your music is too strong. Listeners tend to admire the entire package and not concentrate on just one or two elements. Pink comes whole all the time and I am glad it is not otherwise.