Throwback Thursday: Pink – “Most Girls”
If you’re anything like me, Pink’s transformation from contemporary R&B to rock star has never quite sat well on your spirit.
A million zillennials just said, “Huh?”
Yes, my dears. Once upon a time, Ms. Alecia Moore used to sing rhythm and blues. In fact, before she was a solo artist, she was part of an R&B girl group called Choice — they had a record deal with LaFace Records and everything. They even recorded an album that never saw the light of day.
It’s not entirely clear why, but at some point, LaFace co-founder L.A. Reid gave Pink an ultimatum to go solo or go home, so she left the group and signed a solo contract with the label. Soon after, she began recording her debut album, Can’t Take Me Home, which was decidedly R&B. She worked with big names like Babyface and Daryl Simmons, and future big names like Tricky Stewart and Robin Thicke. She also worked with Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs and ex-Xscape member Kandi Burruss, both of whom were on a winning streak, having co-written hits like “No Scrubs” by TLC and “Bills, Bills, Bills” by Destiny’s Child. They would contribute two tracks to the album, “Hell wit Ya” and what would become Pink’s debut single, “There You Go.”
“There You Go” was followed by “Most Girls,” which was written by Babyface and Damon Thomas (and produced by the former). Not that anyone has ever doubted Babyface’s range as a music-maker, but this track right here sounds like nothing we would associate with him. The track would go on to be the album’s biggest hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its parent album, Can’t Take Me Home, would sell over four million copies worldwide.
Despite her success, Pink’s R&B era was short-lived. By her second album, she would do a whole 180 and become this rock girl, and to be honest, I have never not thought of this drastic code switch as problematic. She is only somewhat forgiven because them rock joints slapped.
In any case, today is Pink’s 43rd birthday, and in honor of her contributions to popular music, let’s take a look back to the version of her we were introduced to.
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