It was 1,842 days, or five years and 16 days, between the release of P!nk’s last album and her current one, “Beautiful Trauma,” otherwise known as way too long. She must’ve been disillusioned in thinking that “Just Like Fire” or “Setting the World on Fire” (I mean, ew, country) could satisfy us until her next album, but she did not disappoint. While not as breathtaking as “The Truth About Love,” P!nk has moved on from tackling the inner battles that come with falling in love, to something that is more complex and delicate: politics.

   “Beautiful Trauma” is supposed to be a retaliation to the election of Donald Trump and is dealing with the chaotic aftermath that ensued. The first single released from the album is “What About Us,” which unites the American population against the President, talking about his lies and the disaster he has created. She projects a lighter attitude onto the situation by describing how she wishes she could go back to a simpler time in her song “Barbies,” which is about how life was so much easier when she was “playing barbies in [her] room.” No matter what, each song carried her notorious pop-punk beat, making each anthem completely shower worthy. However, her album’s stand-out was the ballad “But We Lost It,” proving that P!nk is at her best playing the piano, purely singing about the hardships of love. She isn’t whiny by any means, and her love songs are 100% better than the garbage Taylor Swift produces; P!nk’s lyrics are incredibly insightful and she isn’t afraid to write about the hardships that others won’t.

   When P!nk broke into the music industry at 21, her fearless attitude paved the way for her as an artist. However, along the way it seems as though she has lost her punk-rock ways and, consequently,  a lot of her edge right along with it. Her boundary-pushing pieces such as “U + Ur Hand” or “Slut Like You” were nonconforming and put people in their place, but her newer music has grown soft; maybe that’s what comes with age. Her saving grace in the album was her song “Revenge.” Recorded with rapper Eminem, “Revenge” is about a woman who was cheated on and is looking to get even—another song about relationships. With a unique tone, the song stands out, yet P!nk just can’t seem to get inspired quite like she can from relationships. This song was used, primarily, to remind audiences that she is still the edgy kid she was when she started out.  

   Overall, I’d say P!nk’s album was a success because, as always, her   

vocals are amazing and she is miles ahead of the competition. While she still writes for the pop genre, she has managed to maintain some hint of punk in her music, proving she has yet to sell out.