"U + Ur Hand" is a song by American singer and songwriter Pink. It was lined up as the third single from her fourth studio album I'm Not Dead (2006). It was released in August, 2006 to ignite controversy due to its explicit lyrical content and strong language.

The song was written by Pink, Max Martin and Dr. Luke, the same trio who wrote Pink's previous hit single "Who Knew" and the song is also co-written by Rami Yacoub. The two songs eventually became Pink's first two singles to receive Platinum certifications from RIAA, and the first two among a series of hits by Martin and Dr. Luke that followed, including Pink's first solo number one hit on the Hot 100, "So What."

"U + Ur Hand" is credited for re-energizing the sales of I'm Not Dead in the USA, as the album re-entered the Billboard 200 with the song's success, after weeks out of the chart. It was ranked #29 on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2007 chart and peaked at #9 on the Hot 100, becoming Pink's seventh Top 10 hit on the chart.

Writing and controversy[link]

Pink wrote the song with Max Martin, Luke Gottwald, and Rami to mock the men who would flirt with her in clubs. The title refers to the line "looks like it's just me and my hand tonight", which was a phrase she'd heard guys using.^[3][4]

The song caused controversy in the U.S. because of its allegedly "racy" references to masturbation, and consequently some radio stations refused to play it.^[5] Pink and her publicist stated that she wasn't allowed to sing "U + Ur Hand" on the U.S. television show American Idol because of such references.^[5] After being asked to change the title and lyrics to "U + Ur Heart", she said, "You want me to rewrite my song for you. For American fucking Idol? What does that even mean, how do you have sex with your heart?".^[6] She performed "Who Knew" instead.^[5]

Release and reception[link]

Pink reportedly wanted "U + Ur Hand" to be the second single from I'm Not Dead,^[5] but "Who Knew" was released as the second and "U + Ur Hand" was instead released as the third. The single had success in Europe, reaching number ten in the United Kingdom, number four in Germany and number 11 in France;^[7] it peaked inside the top ten on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.^[8] In Australia the song peaked at number five on the ARIA Singles Chart and is certified platinum for sales of 70,000 copies. It was ranked at number 25 on ARIA's Top 100 Singles of 2006.

It was released to radio in the United States on October 30.^[1] In January 2007 "U + Ur Hand" debuted on the Hot 100 at number 94,^[9] and it peaked at number nine. It was the most successful single from I'm Not Dead in the U.S., and her highest charting song since "Just Like a Pill" (2002).^[10] "U + Ur Hand" peaked at number 24 on the Canadian Hot 100, in the first edition of the chart provided by Billboard.^[11]

Billboard magazine credited the single with causing an increase in the U.S. sales of I'm Not Dead, which returned to the Billboard 200 albums chart in the same period the single entered the Hot 100.^[12] The album later re-entered the top 100 on the strength of "U + Ur Hand" and a resurgence of interest in "Who Knew".^[13] According to Tom Carraba, Zomba Label Group general manager and executive vice president of sales and marketing, the "patience" of radio stations, the "great" music video for the single and Pink's participation in Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveShow tour was responsible for the increase in popularity of "U + Ur Hand", which consequently led to renewed interest in the album. Carraba said the single "is the vehicle that will reignite the U.S. marketplace. We think we have a number-one record on our hands."^[8] One program director at the radio station WBBM-FM attributed the success of the single to its appeal to women, calling it "a female anthem" and "very fitting to people who are sick of getting hit on by guys at the club, and want to give them a nice buzz off ... [i]t's relevant to what's going on with young people".^[5]

Rolling Stone said in their review of I'm Not Dead that Pink "sets a proudly bitchy tone in the song",^[14] and Allmusic described Pink as "taunting and teasing" in "U + Ur Hand".^[15] British newspaper The Guardian wrote, "the pithy put-downs of ["U + Ur Hand"] make bearable the sudden shift from classy beats to lumpen power pop".^[16]

Music video[link]

Pink shot videos for "U + Ur Hand" and "Stupid Girls" at the same time, before the decision was made to release the latter as the first single from I'm Not Dead. Dave Meyers directed both videos. The "U + Ur Hand" video was shot in Sun Valley, California, at the Haziza Gallery in Los Angeles, at La Center Studios and at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California in December 2005.^[3][17] Pink stated that in the "U + Ur Hand" video she was "glammed" up and that it took four hours of make-up and one hour of shooting for every different look in the video.^[18] She said she wanted it to be "a colorful video".^[3][17] The outfit that Pink was wearing in the bedroom scene consisted of pieces of black lace that was imported from France and cost US$300 per yard of the fabric.^[3] The actor in the tea garden scene is Tristan Castro.^[17]

The music video for "U + Ur Hand" premiered on Canada's MuchMusic network on July 18, 2006, and was released in Europe at the end of August. In the United States it premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on September 29 as the "First Look" for that day. The video reached number one on TRL six days after its debut, Pink's second video to reach the top on the countdown after the video for her 2003 single "Trouble". It shows Pink as "Lady Delish", in a Garage, training in a Gym, sitting on a balcony, in a 'Tea Garden', at a party and on a bed.

The video features Pink posing as several of New Zealand artist Martin Emond's characters, including "Baby Red Knuckles", "Rocker Bikergirl" and "Hard Candy". In the video, she has six different looks. During the video, Pink is shown reading a book with pictures of each scene that follows. The use of these characters was uncredited and unauthorised. At the time of the video release, Illicit Streetwear and the Martin F. Emond estate were reviewing their options to take action.^[19]

Track listings and formats[link]

• UK CD1

1. "U + Ur Hand" - 3:36
2. "Crash & Burn" [Unreleased Version] - 4:28

• UK CD2

1. "U + Ur Hand" - 3:36
2. "U + Ur Hand" (Beat Culting Club Mix) - 6:42
3. "U + Ur Hand" (Bimbo Jones Remix) - 10:48
4. "U + Ur Hand" (CD-ROM Video)

Official versions[link]

• "U + Ur Hand" (Main Version) - 3:36
• "U + Ur Hand" (Main Version - Clean) - 3:33
• "U + Ur Hand" (Beat Culting Club Mix) - 6:42
• "U + Ur Hand" (Bimbo Jones Remix) - 10:48

Charts[link]

Year-end charts[link]

Certifications[link]

References[link]

Coordinates: 30°57′45″N 46°06′11″E / 30.9625°N 46.10306°E / 30.9625; 46.10306 Ur (Sumerian: Urim;^[1] Sumerian Cuneiform: 𒋀𒀕𒆠 URIM₂^KI or 𒋀𒀊𒆠 URIM₅^KI;^[2] Akkadian: Uru^[3]) was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate.^[4] Once a coastal city near the mouth of the Euphrates on the Persian Gulf, Ur is now well inland, south of the Euphrates on its right bank, 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from Nasiriyah.

The city's patron deity was Nanna, the Sumerian moon god, and the name of the city is in origin derived from the god's name, URIM₂^KI being the classical Sumerian spelling of LAK-32.UNUG^KI, literally "the abode (UNUG) of Nanna (LAK-32)".^[5]

The site is marked by the ruins of the Ziggurat of Ur, which contained the shrine of Nanna, excavated in the 1930s. The temple was built in the 21st century BC (short chronology), during the reign of Ur-Nammu and was reconstructed in the 6th century BC by Nabonidus. The ruins cover an area of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) northwest to southeast by 800 metres (2,600 ft) northeast to southwest and rise up to about 20 metres (66 ft) above the present plain level.^[6]

History[link]

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Early history[link]

Prehistory[link]

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of an early occupation at Ur during the Ubaid period. These early levels were sealed off with a sterile deposit that was interpreted by excavators of the 1920s as evidence for the Great Flood of the book of Genesis and Epic of Gilgamesh . It is now understood that the South Mesopotamian plain was exposed to regular floods from the Euphrates and the Tigris, with heavy erosion from water and wind. The further occupation of Ur only becomes clear during its emergence in the third millennium BC (although it must already have been a growing urban center during the fourth millennium). The third millennium BC is generally described as the Early Bronze Age of Mesopotamia, which ends approximately after the demise of the Third Dynasty of Ur.

Third millennium BC (Early Bronze Age)[link]

Mesopotamia in the 3rd millennium BC.

There are two main sources which inform scholars about the importance of Ur during the Early Bronze Age. The first is a large body of cuneiform documents, mostly from the empire of the so-called Third Dynasty of Ur at the very end of the third millennium. This was the most centralized bureaucratic state the world had yet known. Concerning the earlier centuries, the Sumerian King List provides a tentative political history of ancient Sumer.

The second source of information is archaeological work in modern Iraq. Although the early centuries (first half of the third millennium and earlier) are still poorly understood, the archaeological discoveries have shown unequivocally that Ur was a major urban center on the Mesopotamian plain. Especially the discovery of the Royal Tombs have confirmed its splendour. These tombs, which date to the Early Dynastic IIIa period (approximately in the 25th or 24th century BC), contained immense amounts of luxury items made out of precious metals, and semi-precious stones all of which would have had to been imported from long distances (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, the Persian Gulf).^[6] This up to then unparalleled wealth is a testimony of Ur's economic importance during the Early Bronze Age.^[7]

Archaeological research of the region has also contributed greatly to our understanding of the landscape and long-distance interactions that took place during these ancient times. We know that Ur was the most important port on the Persian Gulf, which extended much further inland than it does today. All the wealth which came to Mesopotamia by sea had to pass through Ur.

So far evidence for the earliest periods of the Early Bronze Age in Mesopotamia is very limited. That Ur was an important urban centre already then seems to be indicated by a type of cylinder seal called the City Seals. These seals contain a set of proto-cuneiform signs which appear to be writings or symbols of the name of city-states in ancient Sumer. Many of these seals were found in Ur, and the name of Ur is prominent on them.^[8]

Empire of the Third Dynasty of Ur

The third dynasty was established when the king Ur-Nammu came to power, ruling between ca. 2047 BC and 2030 BC. During his rule, temples, including the ziggurat, were built, and agriculture was improved through irrigation. His code of laws, the Code of Ur-Nammu (a fragment was identified in Istanbul in 1952) is one of the oldest such documents known, preceding the code of Hammurabi by 300 years. He and his successor Shulgi were both deified during their reigns, and after his death he continued as a hero-figure: one of the surviving works of Sumerian literature describes the death of Ur-Nammu and his journey to the underworld.^[9] About that time, the houses in the city were two-storied villas with 13 or 14 rooms, with plastered interior walls.^{[10][dubious – discuss]}

Ur-Nammu was succeeded by Shulgi, the greatest king of the Third Dynasty of Ur who solidified the hegemony of Ur and reformed the empire into a highly centralized bureaucratic state. Shulgi ruled for a long time (at least 42 years) and deified himself halfway through his rule.^{[citation needed]}

The Ur empire continued through the reigns of three more kings, Amar-Sin, Shu-Sin, and Ibbi-Sin. It fell around 1940 BC to the Elamites in the 24th regnal year of Ibbi-Sin, an event commemorated by the Lament for Ur.^[11][12]

According to one estimate, Ur was the largest city in the world from c. 2030 to 1980 BC. Its population was approximately 65,000.^[13]

Later Bronze Age[link]

The city of Ur lost its political power after the demise of the Third Dynasty of Ur. Nevertheless its important position which kept on providing access to the Persian Gulf ensured the ongoing economical importance of the city during the second millennium BC. The splendour of the city, the might of the empire, the greatness of king Shulgi, and undoubtedly the efficient propaganda of the state endured throughout Mesopotamian history. Shulgi was a well known historical figure for at least another two thousand years, while historical narratives of the Mesopotamian societies kept names, events, and mythologies in remembrance.

Iron Age[link]

In the 6th century BC there was new construction in Ur under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. The last Babylonian king, Nabonidus, improved the ziggurat. However the city started to decline from around 550 BC and was no longer inhabited after about 500 BC, perhaps owing to drought, changing river patterns, and the silting of the outlet to the Persian Gulf.

20th century[link]

As of 1954, there was a railway station here. The Bagdad railroad line connected to Basra, 120 miles (190 km) to the south.^{[14][dubious – discuss]}

Biblical Ur[link]

Ur is considered by many to be the city of Ur Kasdim mentioned in the Book of Genesis (Biblical Hebrew אוּר) as the birthplace of the patriarch Abram (Abraham; Arabic: Ibrahim), traditionally believed to be sometime in the 2nd millennium BC.

Ur is mentioned four times in the Torah or Old Testament, with the distinction "of the Kasdim/Kasdin"—traditionally rendered in English as "Ur of the Chaldees". The Chaldeans were already settled in the vicinity by around 850 BC. The name is found in Genesis 11:28, Genesis 11:31, and Genesis 15:7. In Nehemiah 9:7, a single passage mentioning Ur is a paraphrase of Genesis. (Nehemiah 9:7)

The Book of Jubilees states that Ur was founded in 1688 Anno Mundi (year of the world) by 'Ur son of Kesed, presumably the offspring of Arphaxad, adding that in this same year wars began on Earth.

"And 'Ur, the son of Kesed, built the city of 'Ara of the Chaldees, and called its name after his own name and the name of his father." (i.e., Ur Kasdim) (Jubilees 11:3).

Ur in Islamic tradition[link]

According to Islamic texts, the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was thrown into the fire here. In the story, this fire of Nimrod was turned into water, saving the life of Ibrahim. While the Qur'an does not mention the king's name, Muslim commentators have assigned Nimrod as the king based on Jewish sources, namely the Book of Jasher (11:1 and 12:6).^[15]

Archaeology[link]

Archeological excavations at Tell el-Mukayyar, Iraq

In 1625, the site was visited by Pietro della Valle, who recorded the presence of ancient bricks stamped with strange symbols, cemented together with bitumen, as well as inscribed pieces of black marble that appeared to be seals.

The site was first excavated in 1853 and 1854 by John George Taylor, British vice consul at Basra from 1851-1859.^[16][17][18] He worked on behalf of the British Museum. He had been instructed to do so by the Foreign Office. Taylor found clay cylinders in the four corners of the top stage of the ziggurat which bore an inscription of Nabonidus (Nabuna`id), the last king of Babylon (539 BC), closing with a prayer for his son Belshar-uzur (Bel-ŝarra-Uzur), the Belshazzar of the Book of Daniel. Evidence was found of prior restorations of the ziggurat by Ishme-Dagan of Isin and Shu-Sin of Ur, and by Kurigalzu, a Kassite king of Babylon in the 14th century BCE. Nebuchadnezzar also claims to have rebuilt the temple. Taylor further excavated an interesting Babylonian building, not far from the temple, part of an ancient Babylonian necropolis. All about the city he found abundant remains of burials of later periods. Apparently, in later times, owing to its sanctity, Ur became a favorite place of sepulchres, so that even after it had ceased to be inhabited, it continued to be used as a necropolis.

Typical of the era, his evacuations destroyed information and exposed the tell. Natives used the now loosened 4000 year old bricks and tile for construction for the next 75 years while the site lay unexplored.^{[19][dubious – discuss]}

After Taylor's time the site was visited by numerous travelers, almost all of whom have found ancient Babylonian remains, inscribed stones and the like, lying upon the surface. The site was considered rich in remains, and relatively easy to explore. After some soundings were made in 1918 by Reginald Campbell Thompson, H. R. Hill worked the site for one season for the British Museum in 1919, laying the groundwork for more extensive efforts to follow.^[20][21]

Excavations from 1922 to 1934 were funded by the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania and led by the archaeologist Sir Charles Leonard Woolley.^[22][23][24] A total of about 1,850 burials were uncovered, including 16 that were described as "royal tombs" containing many valuable artifacts, including the Standard of Ur. Most of the royal tombs were dated to about 2600 BC. The finds included the unlooted tomb of a queen thought to be Queen Puabi^[25]—the name is known from a cylinder seal found in the tomb, although there were two other different and unnamed seals found in the tomb. Many other people had been buried with her, in a form of human sacrifice. Near the ziggurat were uncovered the temple E-nun-mah and buildings E-dub-lal-mah (built for a king), E-gi-par (residence of the high priestess) and E-hur-sag (a temple building). Outside the temple area, many houses used in everyday life were found. Excavations were also made below the royal tombs layer: a 3.5-metre (11 ft)-thick layer of alluvial clay covered the remains of earlier habitation, including pottery from the Ubaid period, the first stage of settlement in southern Mesopotamia. Woolley later wrote many articles and books about the discoveries.^[26] One of Woolley's assistants on the site was the archaeologist Max Mallowan. The discoveries at the site reached the headlines in mainstream media in the world with the discoveries of the Royal Tombs. As a result the ruins of the ancient city attracted many visitors. One of these visitors was the already famous Agatha Christie who as a result of this visit became the wife of Max Mallowan.

Most of the treasures excavated at Ur are in the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. At the UPenn Museum the exhibition Iraq's Ancient Past,^[27] which includes many of the most famous pieces from the Royal Tombs, is expected to be open to visitors in late Spring 2011.

In 2009, an agreement was reached for a joint University of Pennsylvania and Iraqi team to resume archaeological work at the site of Ur.^[28]

Archaeological remains[link]

Though some of the areas that were cleared during modern excavations have sanded over again, the Great Ziggurat is fully cleared and stands as the best-preserved and most visible landmark at the site.^[29] The famous Royal tombs, also called the Neo-Sumerian Mausolea, located about 250 metres (820 ft) south-east of the Great Ziggurat in the corner of the wall that surrounds the city, are nearly totally cleared. Parts of the tomb area appear to be in need of structural consolidation or stabilization.

There are cuneiform (Sumerian writing) on many walls, some entirely covered in script stamped into the mud-bricks. The text is sometimes difficult to read, but it covers most surfaces. Modern graffiti has also found its way to the graves, usually in the form of names made with coloured pens (sometimes they are carved). The Great Ziggurat itself has far more graffiti, mostly lightly carved into the bricks. The graves are completely empty. A small number of the tombs are accessible. Most of them have been cordoned off. The whole site is covered with pottery debris, to the extent that it is virtually impossible to set foot anywhere without stepping on some. Some have colours and paintings on them. Some of the "mountains" of broken pottery are debris that has been removed from excavations. Pottery debris and human remains form many of the walls of the royal tombs area. It can only be speculated whether this is of ancient making or modern restoration, but it is a fact that they are, literally, filled up with pottery debris.^{[citation needed]}

In May 2009, the United States Army returned the Ur site to the Iraqi authorities, who hope to develop it as a tourist destination.^[30]

Preservation[link]

Since 2009, non-profit organization Global Heritage Fund (GHF) has been working to protect and preserve Ur against problems of erosion, neglect, inappropriate restoration, and war and conflict. GHF's stated goal for the project is to create an informed and scientifically-grounded Master Plan to guide the site’s long-term conservation and management, which will enable sustainability and can serve as a model for other sites’ stewardship.^[31]

See also[link]

Ancient Near East portal

• Cities of the ancient Near East
• History of Iraq
• History of Sumer
• Lyres of Ur
• Ram in a Thicket
• Royal Game of Ur
• Short chronology timeline
• Standard of Ur
• Imports to Ur

Notes[link]

References[link]

• P. R. S. Morrey, Where Did They Bury the Kings of the IIIrd Dynasty of Ur?, Iraq, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 1–18, 1984
• J. Oates, Ur and Eridu: The Prehistory, Iraq, vol. 22, pp. 32–50, 1960
• C.J. Gadd, History and monuments of Ur, Chatto & Windus, 1929 (Dutton 1980 reprint: ISBN 0-405-08545-1)
• Leonard Woolley, Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and Its Surroundings, Oxford University Press, 1927
• Leonard Woolley, Ur excavations IV: The Early Periods, Oxford University Press, 1927
• Leonard Woolley, Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and Its Surroundings, Oxford University Press, 1927
• Leonard Woolley and M. E. L. Mallowan, Ur Excavations VII: The Old Babylonian Period, Oxford University Press, 1927
• Leonard Woolley, Ur Excavations VIII: The Kassite Period, Oxford University Press, 1927
• Leonard Woolley and M. E. L. Mallowan, Ur Excavations IX: The Neo-Babylonian and Persian Periods, Oxford University Press, 1927
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

• Explore some of the Royal Tombs Mesopotamia website from the British Museum
• Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Ur
• Woolley’s Ur Revisited, Richard L. Zettler, BAR 10:05, September/October 1984.
• Ur Excavations of the University of Pennsylvania Museum
• Ur Preservation Project by Global Heritage Fund
• Explore Ur with Google Earth on Global Heritage Network
• At Ur, Ritual Deaths That Were Anything but Serene on The New York Times

Pink
Pink
Background information
Birth name	Alecia Beth Moore
Born	(1979-09-08) September 8, 1979 (age 32) Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock, pop, rock, R&B, dance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1995–present
Labels	LaFace, Arista, Jive, RCA

Alecia Beth Moore (born September 8, 1979), better known by her stage name Pink (often stylized as P!nk), is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress. After her three-year career with the contemporary R&B girl group Choice, in 2000 she released her first single "There You Go," from her debut album Can't Take Me Home. The song garnered commercial success, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2001, she released her second, more pop rock-oriented, studio album, Missundaztood. The album went on to become a critical and commercial success, with estimated sales of 13 million. The album produced four singles, "Get the Party Started," "Don't Let Me Get Me," "Just Like a Pill" and "Family Portrait," each entering the Top 20, with "Get the Party Started" being her highest charting solo single (tied with "Most Girls") until "So What" in 2008, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In November 2003, Pink released her third album Try This. The album was, commercially, less successful than her previous album, but still managed to sell around 3 million copies, making it Pink's least successful album to date. It produced three singles, "Trouble," "God Is a DJ" and "Last to Know," with the first receiving a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. After taking a short break, she released I'm Not Dead, her fourth studio album, on April 4, 2006. It marks her comeback after the poor success of her previous album. The album debuted and peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, Pink's highest debut on the chart. It was preceded by the controversial single "Stupid Girls" which garnered commercial success. The second single, "Who Knew," was virtually ignored on American radio, but after the huge success of "U + Ur Hand," was re-released, peaking at #9 on the charts. "U + Ur Hand" is credited to have revived Pink's career in the US, and also to have brought the album back to the charts. Her fifth album, Funhouse, was released in late October 2008. It was preceded by her first solo number one on the Billboard Hot 100, "So What." The album notched three other Top 20 hits: "Sober," "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Glitter in the Air." On November 15, 2010, she released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!. The album produced two singles, "Raise Your Glass" and "Fuckin' Perfect," the former reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In January 2012, Nielsen Soundscan reported that P!nk was the 4th most played artist of 2011.^[1]

By the end of 2009, Billboard magazine named Pink the number one Pop Artist of the decade,^[2] as well as naming her the 13th overall music artist of the decade.^[3] A few months later, in June 2010, Forbes magazine named Pink the 27th most powerful celebrity in the world.^[4] Pink's career accomplishments include three Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards and two Brit Awards. In June 2011 Pink and her husband, Carey Hart, welcomed their first child, Willow Sage. As of January 2012, Pink has sold over 40 million albums and 70 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time.^[5]

Early life[link]

Pink was born on September 8, 1979, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, to Judith,^[6] a nurse, and Jim Moore, a Vietnam veteran.^[7][8] Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish, and she has ancestors who emigrated from Ireland, Germany, and Lithuania.^[9] Pink grew up in Doylestown, where she attended Doyle Elementary School, Lenape Middle School, and Central Bucks High School West. Her father played guitar and sang songs, thus inspiring Pink from an early age to be a rock star. In high school, Moore joined her first band, Middleground, but the band folded upon losing a battle of the bands competition. Pink developed her voice early in life. Although a healthy baby at birth, she quickly developed asthma that plagued her through her early years.^[10] When she was a teenager, she wrote lyrics as an outlet for her feelings, and her mother commented, "Her initial writings were always very introspective. Some of it was very black, and very deep, almost worrisome."^[10] She began performing in Philadelphia clubs when she was 14 years old. Pink said, "I was extreme. I went through phases from skateboarder, to hip-hopper, to rave child, to lead singer in a rock band. I did it all, and all at the same time." At 16, together with two other teenage girls, Stephanie Galligan and Chrissy Conway, she formed the R&B group Choice. They landed a deal with L.A. Reid and worked with various producers for two years, never releasing a record, before Reid persuaded Moore to go solo. Her stage name "P!nk" was a nickname of hers when she was singing in Philadelphia clubs as a teen.^[11]

Music career[link]

[edit] 1995–2000: Career beginnings and Can't Take Me Home

In 1995, Alecia Moore joined Choice, an American R&B girl group, which also included Chrissy Conway and Sharon Flanagan. A copy of their first song, "Key to My Heart," was sent to LaFace Records in Atlanta, Georgia, where L.A. Reid overheard it and arranged for the group to fly there so he could see them perform. After this, he signed them to a record deal. As the three girls were under 18 at the time, their parents had to co-sign the contract. The group relocated to Atlanta and recorded an album, which was never released, and "Key to My Heart" appeared on the Kazaam soundtrack for the 1996 film of the same name. The group disbanded in 1998.

After the disbandment of Choice, Pink started working on her debut album, Can't Take Me Home. It was released on April 4, 2000, with some copies being released in the UK in early 1999, and was produced by Babyface, Terence "Tramp-Baby" Abney, She'ksphere, Dallas Austin, The Specialists, and Steve Rhythm. The album sold more than 5 million copies worldwide, and was certified double platinum in the U.S. It produced two top ten singles, "There You Go" and "Most Girls." The album's third single, "You Make Me Sick" hit the top 40 in the U.S. and the top 10 in the U.K. It was also featured in the film Save the Last Dance. The song "Split Personality" was featured in the film The Princess Diaries.

Pink was the opening act for 'N Sync on their American tour in the summer of 2000.^[12]

[edit] 2001–05: Missundaztood and Try This

In 2001, she was a part of "Lady Marmalade" alongside singers Christina Aguilera, Mýa, and rapper Lil' Kim for the soundtrack of the film Moulin Rouge!. Produced by hip-hop producers Rockwilder and Missy Elliott, the song topped the charts in countries including New Zealand, the UK, Australia and the U.S., where it became the most successful airplay-only single in history, and also became Pink's first number one single.^[13] The success of the single was helped by its music video, which was popular on music channels^[14] and won the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.^[15] The song won Pink's first Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, and provided a boost for the four performers' careers.^[16] In a VH1 interview, Pink stated she had to fight with Christina Aguilera's manager to sing the high parts in the song.

Tired of being marketed as another cookie cutter pop act and eager to be seen as a more serious songwriter and musician, and to perform the type of music she wanted to, Pink took her sound in a new direction and sought more artistic or creative control during the recording of her second album, M!ssundaztood.^[17] She recruited Linda Perry, former singer of 4 Non Blondes (one of Pink's favorites in her teenage years), who said Pink opened up to her: "In the beginning I just said: 'What do you feel?', and she (Pink) would just sit behind the piano and sing."^[16] Pink moved into Perry's Los Angeles home where the pair spent several months writing songs for the album.^[18] Perry co-wrote and co-produced the album with Dallas Austin and Scott Storch, and according to VH1 Driven, Antonio "LA" Reid of LaFace Records was not initially content with the new music Pink was making.^[16] The album, named Missundaztood because of Pink's belief that people had a wrong image of her,^[19] was released in November 2001.

Its lead single, "Get the Party Started" (written and produced by Perry), went top five in the U.S. and many other countries, and number one in Australia. At the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, the music video won in the categories of Best Female Video and Best Dance Video. The album's other singles—"Don't Let Me Get Me," the Dallas Austin-produced "Just like a Pill," and "Family Portrait"—were also radio and chart successes, with "Just like a Pill" becoming Pink's first solo UK number-one hit. The singles were substantial hits on Adult Top 40 radio. "Missundaztood" was certified gold or platinum status in more than 20 countries,^[20] with worldwide sales of 12 million.^[21] It was the second best-selling album in the UK during 2002. "Missundaztood" and "Get the Party Started" earned nominations at the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, respectively. Faith Hill's 2002 album, Cry, features a song co-written by Pink and Perry. In 2002, Pink started a headlining American, European and Australian tour, the Party Tour; later, she became a supporting act for Lenny Kravitz's American tour. In mid-2003, Pink contributed the song "Feel Good Time" to the soundtrack of the film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, in which she had a cameo appearance as a motocross race ramp owner/promoter. "Feel Good Time" was co-written by singer Beck, produced by electronic music artist William Orbit and based on the song "Fresh Garbage" by the band Spirit. It became Pink's first single to miss the top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, although it was a hit in Europe and Australia. During the same period, a song Pink co-wrote with Damon Elliott was released on Mýa's album Moodring.

"Feel Good Time" was included on non-U.S. editions of Pink's third album Try This, which was released on November 11, 2003. Eight of the 13 tracks were co-written with Tim Armstrong of the band Rancid; Linda Perry was featured on the album as a writer and musician. Though Try This reached the top ten on album charts in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia, sales were considerably lower than those of Missundaztood; it went platinum in the U.S. and sold over 5 million copies worldwide.^[22] The singles "Trouble" and "God Is a DJ" did not reach the U.S. top 40 but went top ten in other countries, and "Last to Know" was released as a single outside North America. "Trouble" earned Pink her second Grammy Award (for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance) at the 2004 Grammy Awards, and "Feel Good Time" was nominated in the category of Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. She toured extensively on the Try This Tour through Europe and Australia, where the album was better received.

[edit] 2005–09: I'm Not Dead and Funhouse

In 2005, she collaborated with Lisa Marie Presley on the track "Shine" on Presley's second album Now What. Pink took a break to write the songs for her fourth album, I'm Not Dead, which she said she titled as such because "It's about being alive and feisty and not sitting down and shutting up even though people would like you to."^[23] Pink worked with producers Max Martin, Billy Mann, Christopher Rojas, Butch Walker, Lukasz Gottwald, and Josh Abraham on the album. The album's release in April 2006 through LaFace Records was a substantial success throughout the world, particularly in Australia. The album reached the top ten in the U.S., the top five in the UK, number one in Germany, and sat at number one in Australia for two non-consecutive weeks,^[24] though it was Pink's lowest seller in the U.S. until the success of the single "U + Ur Hand" in early 2007. The album ranked 96th in the USA during 2007.^[25]

Lead single "Stupid Girls" was Pink's biggest U.S. hit since 2002 and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Its music video, in which she parodies celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Paris Hilton,^[26] won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video. Subsequent singles "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand" were substantial hits in Australia and Europe, and they later became top ten singles in the U.S. in 2007. The non-U.S. singles were "Nobody Knows," a minor hit in the UK, Australia and Germany; "Dear Mr. President," an open letter to the U.S. President George W. Bush (featuring the Indigo Girls) and a number 1 hit in Belgium, a top five hit in Germany, Australia and other countries; "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)," a UK top 40 and Australian top five entry; and "'Cuz I Can." The album has sold over 1.3 million copies in the U.S., over 700,000 in Australia, and 6 million worldwide. Proving very popular in Australia, with 6 top five singles, and a record-breaking 62 weeks in the top 10; so far the album has gone 10 times platinum. In June 2008, the I'm Not Dead album returned to the top 50 of the Australian ARIA charts and remained there until November 2009.^[27] In June 2009 the album returned once again to the Australian top ten album charts in its 142nd week in the national top fifty.^[27] It re-entered at No. 10 on the back of her mammoth Funhouse Tour, and as of 2010, has spent 162 weeks in the top 50 of the Australian ARIA albums chart.^[27]

Pink performing on the I'm Not Dead summer tour in 2007

In support of the album, Pink embarked on the world I'm Not Dead Tour, for which ticket sales in Australia were particularly high; she sold approximately 307,000 tickets in Australia, giving her the record for the biggest concert attendance for an arena tour by a female artist.^[28] One of the London shows on the tour was taped and released as a DVD, Pink: Live from Wembley Arena where she sang Linda Perry's "Whats Up?." In 2006, Pink was chosen to sing the theme song for NBC Sunday Night Football, "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night," which is a take on "I Hate Myself for Lovin' You" by Joan Jett. She contributed a cover of Rufus's "Tell Me Something Good" to the soundtrack of the film Happy Feet, and lent her name to PlayStation to promote the PSP, a special pink edition of which was released.^[29] Pink collaborated with several other artists in 2006 and 2007, when she opened for Justin Timberlake on the American leg of his FutureSex/LoveShow Tour. She sang on the Indigo Girls album Despite Our Differences. She was featured on India.Arie's song "I Am Not My Hair" from the Lifetime Television film Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy. She wrote a song ("I Will") for Natalia's third album, Everything & More. "Outside of You," another song she co-wrote, was recorded by dance-pop singer Hilary Duff and released on her 2007 album Dignity. Pink recorded a song with Annie Lennox and twenty-two other female acts for Lennox's fourth solo studio album, Songs of Mass Destruction. Titled "Sing," it was written as an anthem for HIV/AIDS, according to Lennox's website.^[30] In December 2007, a special edition Pink Box, which comprises her second to fourth albums and the DVD Live in Europe, was released in Australia. It reached the top twenty on the albums chart and was certified Gold, selling over 35,000 units.^[31]

Pink performing at a secret London gig to promote the Funhouse album, on November 4, 2008

On August 7, 2008, Pink's single "So What" was leaked online, and radio stations across Australia were quick to give it massive airplay. Within less than 6 hours from the leak, "So What" was voted No.1 on Nova 100 Melbourne and shot to No.1 on the Today Network's national radio Hot30 Countdown.^[32] It also shot straight to number 1 on the official Australian and British iTunes single downloads charts. On August 22, Pink announced a new track titled "Crystal Ball." On September 18, 2008, "So What" became the first solo number one of her career on the Billboard Hot 100.

Pink was the guest of honor at the 2008 ARIA Music Awards held in Sydney, Australia, in October 2008, where she sang "So What." On November 3, 2008, Funhouse debuted at number one on the ARIA charts, certified two times platinum and selling over 86,000 units in its first week. Pink's Funhouse Tour sold out all concerts in Australia, and she performed a total of 58 shows around the country between May and August 2009, performing for more than 600,000 Australian fans.^[33] The Funhouse Tour started in France on February 24 and continued through Europe until mid-May, with supporting act Raygun. Pink then performed a series of shows in Australia. On November 23, 2008, Pink performed her second single from Funhouse, "Sober" at the American Music Awards. The third single was "Please Don't Leave Me," with a video directed by Dave Meyers. The fourth single was "Funhouse," although "Bad Influence" was released in Australia prior to "Funhouse"'s release as a promotional single for the tour. In May 2009, Pink released a four-CD set of her albums Can't Take Me Home / Missundaztood / Try This / I'm Not Dead, excluding her current album Funhouse. The album peaked at number 7 in the UK Album Chart.^[34] In 2009, Pink performed in The People Speak a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.^[35]

On September 13, 2009, Pink performed "Sober" while doing a trapeze act at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards,^[36] where she was nominated for Best Female Video. On January 31, 2010, Pink did another trapeze act in the form of aerial silks at the 2010 Grammy Awards, this time performing the song "Glitter in the Air." She received a standing ovation. The music of Pink was the theme of the October 4, 2009 episode of Australian Idol.

[edit] 2010–11: Greatest Hits... So Far!!!

Pink was a soloist in the remake of the 1985 charity single, "We Are the World." Pink collaborated on the 2010 Herbie Hancock album, The Imagine Project, in which she sang Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" with John Legend and contributed vocals to John Lennon's "Imagine" with Seal, India.Arie, Jeff Beck, Konono N°1, Oumou Sangare and others.^[37] Pink was featured on a track titled "Won't Back Down" for Eminem's 2010 album Recovery. Eminem explained that he included Pink because he "felt like she would smash this record."^[38]

On July 15, 2010, Pink fell during one of her aerial tricks during a concert in Nurnberg, Germany, where she fell out of a harness which was supposed to carry her across the crowd.^[39] She was rushed off stage and taken to a local hospital but wasn't seriously injured. She was treated by American doctors Chris Lorch and Jeremy Nicholson.^[40] Pink moved a total of 3,000,000 concert tickets on her 2009–2010 worldwide tour, according to a statement on behalf of U.K. tour promoter Marshall Arts.^[41]

In the first week of October 2010, Pink released "Raise Your Glass," the first single from her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!. The song celebrates a decade since Pink's debut in 2000 and is dedicated to her fans who have been supporting her over the years. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Pink's tenth Top 10 hit, and her second solo number one on the chart.^[42] On November 12, 2010, Pink released her first compilation album, entitled Greatest Hits... So Far!!!, and almost a month after that released her second single, named "Fuckin' Perfect." The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100^[43] and peaked at #1 in Germany.^[44]

Pink voiced the character of Gloria in Happy Feet Two, which premiered on November 18, 2011 in the United States. She also sings the movie's theme song, "Bridge of Light."^[45] Pink will also have her first leading role, in an upcoming dramatic comedy entitled Thanks for Sharing, starring alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Ruffalo.^[46]

2012–present: Sixth studio album[link]

On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Pink (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material on the RCA Records brand. In 2011, Joe Riccitelli, an executive with RCA, announced that Pink was preparing to enter the studio to record her sixth studio album, to be released in september 2012.^[47][48] On February 29, 2012, P!nk took to her Twitter account and confirmed that she is currently in the writing process for her new record.^[49]

Artistry[link]

Influences[link]

Pink has named Madonna and Janis Joplin as two of her biggest musical influences.^[50] She stated that "I wanted to do it my way with my career, and I had this arrogant notion that people weren't just interested in my music but me as a person. That was my bit of arrogance, I guess. That's something I learned from Madonna. I was a fan right from the first time I heard 'Holiday'."^[50] Of Joplin she expressed: "She was so inspiring by singing blues music when it wasn't culturally acceptable for white women, and she wore her heart on her sleeve. She was so witty and charming and intelligent, but she also battled an ugly-duckling syndrome. I would love to play her in a movie."^[50]

Legacy[link]

Pink has been described as an artist who has changed the scope of pop music, but has hardly received recognition for it.^[51][52] Referring to her as a "powerhouse vocalist", Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times asked, "Why isn't she an even bigger star?"^[52] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone commented: "I think people respond to her sense of independence and dedication. It inspires people ... This is a prolific pop artist who is sometimes famous and successful, sometimes obscure, who nonetheless keeps making her own kind of music. Every few years, the spotlight comes back around to her—but her fans can trust that when the spotlight moves along, Pink will keep on writing Pink songs."^[52] Powers adds that her mix of rock-style rebellion, emotional rawness, humor and "infectious" dance beats created "a model for the mashup approach of latter-day divas such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and even Rihanna."^[52] James Montgomery of MTV describes her as "a fabulously fearless pop artist" who can "out-sing almost anyone out there. She can out-crazy Gaga or Lily. She's the total pop-star package, everything you'd want in a singer/entertainer/icon. And still, she remains oddly off the radar. Such is the price of busting borders, I suppose."^[51]

British soul singer Adele considers Pink's performance at Brixton Academy in London as one of "the most defining moments" in her life, saying "It was the Missundaztood record, so I was about 13 or 14. I had never heard, being in the room, someone sing like that live. I remember sort of feeling like I was in a wind tunnel, her voice just hitting me. It was incredible."^[53][54]

Personal life[link]

Family[link]

Pink met professional motocross racer Carey Hart at the 2001 X Games in Philadelphia. Following a brief separation in 2003, Pink proposed to Hart in June 2005 during a Mammoth Lakes motocross race by holding up a "Will you marry me?" sign on his pit board.^[55] They married in Costa Rica on January 7, 2006.^[56]

After months of speculation, Pink announced in February 2008 that she and Hart had separated.^[57][58] Hart subsequently appeared in the video for her 2008 song "So What",^[59] which deals with their separation and pending divorce.^[60] The couple sought marriage counseling during their separation ^[61] in hopes of reconciliation.^[62] In February 2010, Pink confirmed that she and Hart were back together,^[63] and announced the following November that they were expecting their first child.^[64] On June 2, 2011, Pink had their daughter, Willow Sage Hart.^[65]

Activism and charity work[link]

Pink is a prominent campaigner for PETA, contributing her voice toward causes such as the protest against KFC. In 2003, she sent a letter to Prince William criticizing him for fox hunting, and in 2006 wrote to Queen Elizabeth II protesting the use of real fur in the bearskins of the Foot Guards and the Honourable Artillery Company.^[66] In conjunction with PETA, she criticized the Australian wool industry over its use of mulesing. In January 2007, she stated that she had been misled by PETA about mulesing and that she had not done enough research before lending her name to the campaign.^[67] Her campaigning led to a headlining concert called PAW (Party for Animals Worldwide) in Cardiff, Wales on August 21, 2007.^[68]

Pink is also involved with several charities, including Human Rights Campaign, ONE Campaign, Prince's Trust, New York Restoration Project, Run for the Cure Foundation, Save the Children, Take Back the Night, UNICEF and World Society for the Protection of Animals.^[69] As of May 2008, Pink has been officially recognized as an advocate for the RSPCA in Australia. On February 16, 2009, Pink announced she was donating $250,000 to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal to aid the victims of the bushfires that swept through the Australian state of Victoria earlier that month.^[70] Pink stated that she wanted to make "a tangible expression of support."^[71] Pink also donated money to Autism Speaks.

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

• 2000: Can't Take Me Home
• 2001: Missundaztood
• 2003: Try This
• 2006: I'm Not Dead
• 2008: Funhouse

Awards and nominations[link]

Tours[link]

See also[link]

	Book: Pink
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• List of best selling music artists

Further reading[link]

• Eichner, Billy (February 24, 2012). "Pop Music: 10 Reasons Why P!nk Is A Very Talented Woman". Buzz Feed. http://www.buzzfeed.com/billyonthestreet/10-reasons-why-pnk-is-a-very-talented-woman-4x71. Retrieved March 28, 2012. 
• Frere-Jones, Sasha (November 24, 2008). "Pop Music: Sass and Cadence". The New Yorker 84 (38): 124–126. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2008/11/24/081124crmu_music_frerejones. Retrieved April 16, 2009. 

References[link]