Considering Pink’s fearless and sometimes death-defying career—best symbolized by her 2010 Grammy Awards performance singing “Glitter in the Air” while spinning upside-down in silks—the longevity of her reign as pop-rock royalty is unprecedented. Pink’s ability to stay on top is no surprise to critics and legions of followers. A generation of fans grew up with her music and embraced her as a role model in a world of Britney and Christina clones.
Many are moms now, and can introduce their daughters to live music by taking them to catch Pink on her Beautiful Trauma World Tour. Tweenagers on their way to womanhood will forever remember a pink curtain dropping to reveal the singer belting out “Get the Party Started” while swinging on a chandelier high above the audience as the beginning of their first concert experience.
It’s been nearly 19 years since that song burst into the Top 5 on Billboard’s singles chart, and nearly two decades since Pink kicked her way into the public consciousness with her debut album Can’t Take Me Home. She took a break after her 2013-’14 The Truth About Love Tour and had a second child with husband Carey Hart, then released the Beautiful Trauma album in 2017. Its lead single, “What About Us,” topped the dance charts and garnered her a Grammy nomination. Her most recent single, “Walk Me Home,” was released in February, the same month she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her current tour ends in October at this year’s Rock in Rio, her first show in Brazil.
Pink’s endurance has been a theme threading through much of what’s been written about her since Beautiful Trauma World Tour started in March of last year. She’s managed to successfully balance family life with her two children Willow, 7, and Jameson, 2, and record a new album, Hurts 2B Human, due out at the end of this month. It hasn’t been easy, as she often reveals on social media, but motherhood created a special bond between her and fans who grew up on her authenticity, empowerment attitude and bravado.
One area where Pink truly pushed the envelope is airborne antics. Pink had been doing “Glitter in the Air” above her audience on silks before the 2010 Grammys, and had long instilled Cirque du Soleil-style production values at her shows. She raised the bar for choreography, scenery and pyro among her contemporaries, and at a recent show in Tampa leaped into the air to kick a blow-up version of Eminem that floated into sight to rap along with her on “Revenge.”
She gets higher than that at current concerts, riding into the air with dancers and flying on a four-poster bed. It’s a six-act show with an encore, intercut with message videos promoting feminism, progressivism, self-acceptance and self-worth. She puts a new spin on “Glitter in the Air,” added “Walk Me Home” to the set, and includes a segment that makes the show a true family affair. Her Royal Highness Pink is on top, apparently as long as she wants to be.
T-Mobile Arena, 8 p.m. April 12, starting at $47.45 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849 AXS
