Track by Track Review: P!nk is at her best on 'Hurts 2B Human'

Last month pop royalty, P!nk, released her eighth studio album, Hurts 2B Human. CelebMix breaks down the record track by track.

The winner of this year’s Brit Award for Oustanding Contribution to Music, there aren’t many names that come with the prestige that P!nk’s does. Ahead of a mammoth worldwide stadium tour, the 39-year-old releases her album Hurts 2B Human.

Only two years on from 2017’s critically acclaimed Beautiful Trauma, Hurts 2B Human is another showing of P!nk at her very best. No longer the young, carefree punk rocker that broke onto the scene in 2000, it’s the pop star’s motherly voice and nostalgic reflections that once again take centre stage.

Here’s CelebMix’s track by track review.

1. Hustle

Kicking things off with a bang, P!nk sticks it to the haters on ‘Hustle’. Co-written by Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds (you can hear him in the chorus too), it’s clear that even though a decade may have passed since the rip-roaring ‘So What’, the mother of two is still not one to mess around.

2. ‘(Hey Why) Miss You Sometime’ 

Jumping back into noughties-sounding R&B, P!nk teams up with producer to the stars Max Martin on ‘(Hey Why) Miss You Sometimes’. It’s a funky flick that’ll have your feet tapping in no time, although perhaps not one of the record’s most memorable moments.

3. Walk Me Home 

Hurts 2B Human‘s lead single, ‘Walk Me Home’ was released on February 20th and premiered on the same day during the star’s breathtaking medley on The Brits. A tender anthem, P!nk has proved her magical ability of writing fist-pumping ballads time and time again. With former Fun. lead-singer and ‘Just Give Me A Reason’ duet partner Nate Reuss lending a hand on the writing, it’s a single that’s going to rise right to the top of the singer’s discography.

3. My Attic

One of the record’s most memorable moments, ‘My Attic’ sees P!nk hiding skeletons in her closest. “Inside this olive skin are paper thin illusions that I’m tougher than I am”, she opens up before warning, “but don’t go pushing too hard, I’m not so easy to manipulate”. Original and with stunning imagery, this is 2010s P!nk at her most potent.

4. 90 Days (feat. Wrabel)

Having recently bigged up Wrabel and his music video ‘The Village’ on Ellen, the two team up on ’90 Days’. A duet sounding a lot like that Wrabel track, the two reflect on a relationship turned sour. It’ll pull on your heartstrings but isn’t anything of ‘Just Give Me A Reason’ proportions.

5. Hurts 2B Human

The album’s title-track sees P!nk team-up with a young pop starlet who is also having a big 2019, Khalid. The duo sing of their commitment in a relationship and feeling like they can take on the world.

6. Can We Pretend (feat. Cash Cash)

Another track teased out on the run-up to the record’s release, New Jersey DJ team Cash Cash are on production with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder co-writing with P!nk. One of Hurts 2B Human‘s most uptempo offerings, the pop star wants to escape reality as she chuckles, “Can we pretend that we both like the president?”.

7. Courage

The big names keep coming as Sia and Greg Kurstin are credited on ‘Courage’. A track that wouldn’t sound misplaced on a Sia record, it gets somewhat lost on Hurts 2B Human. Its spirit is faultless, although the track’s production seems a little too out of the singer’s hands.

8. Happy

“Since I was 17, I’ve always hated my body and it feels like my body has hated me”, P!nk opens on ‘Happy’. Another of Hurts 2B Human‘s most triumphant moments, the pop star manages to open up more than ever before. “Maybe I’m just scared to be happy” she coos on the track’s soft rock chorus. Line after line of truths, without becoming cliché, this is something special.

9. We Could Have It All 

Speeding proceedings up again, ‘We Could Have It All’ wouldn’t be misplaced on 2008’s Funhouse or 2012’s The Truth About Love with its rallying drumline. With one of Hurts 2B Human‘s most catchy hooks, it’s a track that couldn’t be more on brand for P!nk.

10. Love Me Anyway (feat. Chris Stapleton)

Treating fans to another duet on Hurts 2B Human, this time P!nk collaborates with southern rocker Chris Stapleton. Probably the record’s most impressive pairing, the duo’s harmonizing as husky rock meets crisp pop takes centre stage over stripped back production. A well-placed softer moment as the album draws to a close, fans will love this.

11. Circle Game

Detailing moments of struggle as a mother and having to put her own demons aside, this in P!nk at her best as a lyricist: “I’ve got a little girl of my own and she looks at me like I’m a badass […], and now there are monsters in her closet and they want to come and play, and I start looking for my dad to come and make them go away, […] I know that it’s my job now.” Raw and honest, you wouldn’t think there’d still be more to learn about the singer 19 years on since her debut… you wouldn’t be more wrong.

12. The Last Song Of Your Life

It’s a shame Hurts 2B Human‘s closing track is so unforgettable, but ‘The Last Song of Your Life’ leaves no real lasting impact. Nonetheless, simple with P!nk’s calming vocals allowed to soar, it closes what is a glorious record breezily.

Hurts 2B Human is a real landmark moment for P!nk. Even after all these years, the pop start has a lot to say and remains as original as ever. P!nk is a invaluable gem in the music industry.

What’s your favourite track off Hurts 2B Human? Let us know @CelebMix on Twitter. 

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