"What About Us" was written by Pink, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac, and was produced by Mac.[5] In an interview with Vulture, Pink talked about the experience of writing the song, stating, "it was just another day I was angry about what's happening in the world".[6] The singer decided to have discussions and anecdotes with McDaid to develop ideas for the album's songs; McDaid said Pink had "so much to say" and expressed herself "really profoundly".[7] "What About Us" was written and recorded during the session; according to Pink, "those are those kinds of songs where it just falls out of you, that's why I think you're just a vessel when you're being creative".[1]
From my perspective the creation of it is about looking into yourself, interacting. It's like alchemy, you know, you interact with the person there in the room and ... these things, these ideas come out and what the ideas are for [Pink] are probably different to even the person hearing it. And that's the beauty of her, she really allows people to receive her music the way they do.[7]
Music journalists noted "What About Us" starts as a ballad with piano and acoustic arrangements, and appears at first to be about a relationship.[8][14][15] Mike Nied of Idolator described the song as "part break-up anthem, part political call to arms".[15] Gil Kaufman of Billboard shared a similar sentiment, saying the lyrics can be interpreted as "commenting on the state of the world, or the state of the heart".[5] Pink described the song as a political protest song that provides social commentary on her belief the US government had failed people.[16][17][18] According to Pink, the "more sophisticated" nature of the song stems from the poetic and inclusive lyrics, which send a message about people around the world who feel ignored or forgotten.[6][17] The track also took inspiration from the 2016 United States presidential election and the current political state.[19]
In an interview with Billboard, McDaid said "What About Us" "is a question ... not an instruction", and the unclear question is "essential to its brilliance".[7] According to him, Mac's technique of using repetitive chords can be compared with a heartbeat or a mantra, giving the song a sense of "this incredible, epic celebration" and unity.[7] In "What About Us", Pink asks urgent questions during the "insistent" and "soaring" chorus, singing, "What about us?/ What about all the times you said you had the answers?/ What about us?/ What about all the broken happy ever afters?".[5] Ross McNeilage of MTV and Justin Moran of Out both noted political undertones behind the lyrics; McNeilage said they can "definitely be taken as an anthem of resistance to the current state of political affairs" while Moran said the questions are addressed to "a dishonest political leader".[20][21]
"What About Us" was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics. Althea Legaspi of Rolling Stone considered it an "emotional dance floor anthem".[10] Writing for The New York Times, Caryn Ganz commended the track and highlighted Pink's vocals, saying, "she lets the emotion in her tremendous voice do the heavy lifting, shifting from wonder to frustration to anger".[35] Vulture writer Dee Lockett was impressed by the song's upbeat production in contrast with the lyrics about "capturing such a desperate mood".[36] Louise Bruton from The Irish Times said the song's message addresses "the marginalised and the mistreated".[37]
For Lauren Moraski from HuffPost, "What About Us" was a "strong pop song that showcases Pink's vocal chops".[44] Chris Gerard from the Washington Blade described it as a "yearning, emotional anthem" and noted Pink's "sincere and deeply felt" vocals, saying the song is "among the finest singles" of her career.[11] ABC News critic Allan Raible named "What About Us" one of the standout tracks from Beautiful Trauma and wrote Pink's vocal performance gives it a "surprisingly organic heft".[45] The Guardian's Gavin Haynes labeled the song as "the worst sort of Katy Perry anthemics about how we're all just 'rockets pointed up at the stars' ".[46] "What About Us" received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Annual ceremony.[47]
The music video was met with positive reviews from critics. Eric King of Entertainment Weekly said the video emphasizes the song's political message and praised the "powerful same-sex dance routine", saying, "It's an emotive watch, and one that makes a clear statement about life for minorities in Trump's America".[83] Rolling Stone writer Daniel Kreps called the video "stirring" and likening the storyline and concept to "those whose rights are in danger in Trump's America: immigrants, same-sex couples, minorities and more".[86] Lyndsey Havens from Billboard described the video as "wild" and "heavy on hard-hitting dance moves".[80] Taylor Henderson of Pride said Pink's consistently releases music videos that "tell stories with choreography" and said the video is "a timely and incredible addition to Pink's catalogue of hits".[87] Wass called the video "a call for acceptance and togetherness", and said it is "[her] most choreography-heavy video in years".[85] Maeve McDermott of USA Today said the video gives a different meaning to the song and can be seen as "a message to those in power from the people they left behind".[77] McNeilage praised the video for being a political "direct protest" while writing "the two male dancers' beautiful performances is a clear highlight".[81] Bowsher likened the contemporary dance theme of the "What About Us" music video with the video for Pink's 2012 single "Try". She commended the use of dance as "an effort to connect people on a different level" and a way to express fear, sadness, and despair.[89]
Georgia Hudson, director: Hearing the track, it was huge, and what an incredible opportunity to work with such relevance to our climate right NOW. Dance is a real passion to me, it seemed the right way to talk about these ideas, both the societal and inter personal versions of the tracks narrative.
Dance is so inclusive, it transcends semantics and is driven by emotion and response, which just seemed a perfect sensitive way to treat it; when we cast it I was explicit that we had no roles to fill, we were seeking the people that this video was going to be about. Choreographed by Nick and AJ of the Goldenboyz, the way they translated the conceptual messages into the dancers and Alicias bodies was extraoridnary.
The song itself is strong, but when paired to the music video, it speaks volumes. P!nk released a powerful single that shows what is happening right now with hatred, and I can only imagine what other strong and meaningful music is yet to come off of her next album. I would encourage everyone to listen to this single and definitely mark down the release date of Beautiful Trauma (October 13) in your calendars. P!nk is back.
Chatting about her new LP, she revealed , "I'm certifiably, insanely proud of this album - It's been a while and I'm grateful for all the years we've had. Looking forward to the next chapter with you."
Everyone has their own problems that they want to be solved by the law. The future generation needs love not alienation for their differences. People were willing to gather for a cause, but when the cause fails on their promises the supporters feel betrayed. Therefore they question what was in it for them, after all the support they gave.
Beginning Scenes
It opens in an urban area where it like the police or whatever authority is on the hunt for people. It creates this dark Sy-Fy vibe of a society in the beginnings of collapse or a massive upheaval. It shows all different groups of people, couples, and families in various states of confusion, panic, and despair.
Before the lyrics even start, P!nk stares into the camera with a blank expression as her hair is shaved off. The shaving could symbolize conformity to society or a demeaning action society has placed upon her.
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"But the thing that I love about the song now, after all these years, is that I never get tired of performing it, and it's taken on so many different meanings over the years. It was about my grandmother at one point. It was about my dog," she confessed. "I've lost people, so it's always sort of fresh in my heart."
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