P!nk’s “Hurts 2B Human” Leaves Fans Uncertain

By Camryn Brakmann, Reporter

P!nk is known for her wild style that she carries throughout both her music and her life, but her newest album, “Hurts 2B Human,” presents a spectrum of songs that leave longtime fans questioning how they feel.

“Hurts 2B Human” is P!nk’s eighth album and is the product of her work with numerous other creators.

Wrabel, Khalid, Cash Cash and Chris Stapleton are explicitly featured in specific songs; however, other collaborative members also include: Sia, Dan Reynolds, Nate Ruess, Teddy Geiger and Max Martin.

The cover art for “Hurts 2B Human” uses an artistic technique, reflecting some of the emotional themes presented in P!nk’s newest songs.
Image courtesy of @Pink via Twitter

Throughout the album, P!nk’s voice dips into her lower range more frequently than it did in her last album, “Beautiful Trauma” and highlights her wide vocal ability.

While there are almost no issues with the album’s physical sound – the only vocal fault comes with “(Hey Why) Miss You Sometime,” which utilizes a heavy autotune effect – a number of the songs felt like they were missing something else.

A sizeable number of the titles use repetitive lyrics, causing those songs to quickly lose listeners’ interests, and then there are other songs that dig deep with intricate, meaningful lyrics; in between these ends of the spectrum are pieces that hit a vague middle ground.

“Hustle” and “Hurts 2B Human” both have strong starts but eventually devolve into a repetition of the same phrases with little change that become boring to listen to.

“Can We Pretend (feat. Cash Cash)” is also repetitive, but its lyrics connect to P!nk’s usual commentary on society and politics in the United States that gives deeper meaning to the work.

Looking past these songs, the rest of the album has taken on a sense of vulnerability as P!nk opens up to the world.

“My Attic,” a heartfelt view into one’s hidden struggles, uses the attic as a symbol for the mind and the hidden fragments of the past.

It is juxtaposed beside the duet “90 Days (feat. Wrabel),” which presents the tension of a relationship in turmoil that is drawn out even though both people involved know it should be over.

Later in the album, “Happy” alludes to P!nk’s personal struggles throughout her life, stemming from a miscarriage she had at 17.

The music reflects the insecurity about her body that P!nk faced afterward, especially after going through multiple other miscarriages later in her life.

The music video for “Walk Me Home” adds to the song with P!nk dancing across a frozen city street with a group of shadows.
Photograph courtesy of @idolator via Twitter

P!nk has expressed how important she thinks it is to be open about one’s struggles in order to heal, and music has become her therapy.

“Circle Game” is another song that has a heavy emotional impact as a tribute to P!nk’s father, Jim Moore, who is in remission from a battle with cancer last year.

The song tackles the effects of growing up and how it means P!nk’s father cannot be the hero who fixes her problems anymore; instead, she is now that person for her children.

Musically, “Circle Game” pulls at listeners’ heartstrings with the exposed vocals beside a mostly piano accompaniment.

“Hurts 2B Human” is an album that falls flat in multiple places, but it also provides heartfelt gems that manage to shine past those faults in a product that is just as unique as P!nk; the music offers aspects that are worthwhile for both long term P!nk fans as well as those who enjoy pop and dancing.

“Hurts 2B Human” can be found on iTunes for $12 and is available across various other music platforms such as Amazon and Spotify.