Missundaztood (stylized as M!ssundaztood) is the second studio album by American singer Pink. It was released on November 20, 2001, by Arista Records. After the success of Can't Take Me Home, her 2000 debut album, Pink became dissatisfied with her lack of creative control and being marketed as a white R&B singer. Aspiring to follow a rawer, rock-inspired musical direction, she began working on the album with Linda Perry after finding Perry's phone number in her makeup artist's phone book. Instead of relying on popular producers, Pink decided to collaborate with producers and artists who inspired her and enlisted help from Dallas Austin, Damon Elliott, Marti Frederiksen, and Scott Storch. Missundaztood also features guest appearances by Perry, Scratch, Steven Tyler, and guitarist Richie Supa.
The album was produced at a number of recording studios during 2001. Pink contributed significantly to the songwriting process, drawing on her experiences and vulnerabilities. The music contains introspective themes of personal insecurities, loneliness, self-identity, and family problems. Unlike the upbeat, R&B production of her previous album, Missundaztood is a pop rock record. It contains elements of a variety of other genres, including blues, metal, hip hop, new wave, and disco. Arista initially refused to put the album out, fearing that Pink's new direction would result in commercial failure, but she fought for her vision and eventually convinced the label that the risk was worth it.
A critical success, observers regarded Missundaztood as a significant progression from Can't Take Me Home and an artistic breakthrough for Pink. Most music critics praised the album's emotional depth and blending of styles; others appreciated Pink's vocal performances and songwriting. At the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Missundaztood was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. Critics have praised Pink in retrospect for reinventing her music and increasing her creative control, calling Missundaztood distinguished and remarkable.
Background
Pink released Can't Take Me Home, her debut studio album, in April 2000 on LaFace Records.[1] The album is an R&B and dance-pop record with hip-hop influences.[2][3] Produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, it was a commercial success and sold over three million copies worldwide.[4][5]Can't Take Me Home had a mixed critical reception, however, with many critics saying that its sound was too similar to that of American girl groups Destiny's Child and TLC.[2][4][6] Despite Can't Take Me Home's success, Pink felt dissatisfied and constrained by her lack of creative control and being marketed to a teen audience as an R&B singer.[7][8][9] Her father, Jim Moore, said in an October 2000 MTV News interview that Pink expressed interest in experimenting and showcasing her versatility on her forthcoming album.[10] She sought to create an album reflective of the musical influences with which she grew up, resembling the music of Annie Lennox and Method Man.[10][11]
Writing and recording
Sessions with Linda Perry
Linda Perry (pictured in 2008) co-wrote and produced a large portion of Missundaztood.
Pink stumbled upon the phone book of her makeup artist, Billy Brasfield, during a 2001 photo shoot for Teen.[12][13] She discovered the number of Linda Perry, lead singer of the former American alternative rock band 4 Non Blondes.[13][14] Pink cited Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992) as one of her favorite albums when she was growing up, and called Perry her "childhood idol".[12][15] She noted Perry's number and called her, leaving a 10-minute message on her answering machine.[13][14] According to Pink, the message was about "how much I loved [Perry] and how she owes me because I got arrested singing her music out of my window at 3:30 in the morning, and how I'm gonna stalk her if she doesn't return my call".[14]
A few minutes later, Perry called Pink back and invited her to her house in Los Angeles.[14][16] When Pink suggested writing a song with her, however, Perry was initially reluctant.[17] In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Perry said: "I told [Pink] 'I'm not hip [sic] at all. I make low-fi, garage-sounding classic rock records'" Pink responded, "I know — that's what I want".[18] Afterward, Pink met Perry.[19]Missundaztood's recording sessions began in Perry's home studio,[note 1] with Perry at the piano asking Pink to express her feelings in a melody.[12] Pink felt "petrified" and confused at first, since she was accustomed to a different creative process.[note 2] As Perry began to play chords over a rough instrumental, Pink picked up a microphone and started to ad-lib.[14][17] In about five minutes, they wrote and recorded "Eventually".[14][17] Its lyrics were improvised, and Pink's vocals were recorded in one take.[21] Perry described the song's creation as emotional, helping Pink to feel comfortable and understood during the recording process.[12][21]
A week before meeting Pink, Perry worked on a song titled "Get the Party Started".[23] Unfamiliar with new musical technology, Perry decided to call a friend and ask him about it.[21][23] She then purchased equipment, including a Korg Tritonsynthesizer, an Akai MPC, a TASCAMDA-88 recorder, and Roland expansion cards.[21][24] Perry originally had no goal in mind, and was "just figuring out what all [that] stuff does".[23] She programmed her first beat, and made extensive use of a bass guitar, a horn sample, and looping "weird chords and sounds".[25] Perry finished the song by including "every catch phrase you possibly could imagine", before laughing at the realization that she had written her first dance song.[25] Aware of its commercial appeal, Perry unsuccessfully offered "Get the Party Started" to Madonna.[23] She brought the song to Pink's attention soon after the Missundaztood sessions began, and Pink agreed to record it.[23]
Pink moved into Perry's home for several months.[16] They intended to write 25 songs for the album, and spent their time "kicking around ideas".[14][16] The sessions in Perry's home studio yielded about 20 tracks in a month and a half,[14] emphasizing introspection and emotional discovery.[21][26] Working with Perry was an essential factor in Pink's decision to take artistic control of her album.[27] She wanted to abandon the R&B "marketing concept" of Can't Take Me Home and capture reflections on her past, her vulnerabilities, and her insecurities.[5][22] Pink considered the album's creation "amazing, liberating, inspiring", and felt that she and Perry had forged "five years of friendship in six months".[15][22] About her working relationship with Pink, Perry said: "What happened was that we were able to open up to each other ... she completely abandoned what she was told she was supposed to be, and just became Alecia Moore".[28]
Other collaborations
I went after people who inspired me, not the hot new record producer or anything. And it's all done very organically I mean, I'm old-school to the bone, and this is a very artist-driven record, not a producer-driven record.
—Pink, on taking more creative control of her music[29]
After signing with LaFace in 1996, Pink met Dallas Austin.[30] Austin generally disapproved of Pink's R&B direction, and his sessions for Can't Take Me Home were unproductive;[31][32] however, she wanted to work with him again on her forthcoming album.[31] They pursued a pop rock sound, and the material they had written took on an autobiographical form.[32][33] Austin co-wrote and produced four songs on Missundaztood ("18 Wheeler", "Don't Let Me Get Me", "Just Like a Pill", and "Numb"),[20] all of which have introspective lyrics.[26][34] Austin encouraged Pink to be more daring in her songwriting: "When you're writing songs, you're not just writing a song, you're helping craft the attitude".[31][32]
Pink worked with Scott Storch on "Family Portrait", a song which originated as a poem Pink wrote at age nine.[33] The track explores her parents' divorce, and growing up in a dysfunctional family.[35][36] Reflecting on these themes, Pink acknowledged how this affected her life was and decided to express her suffering through a song:[36] "It makes me sad, but it also helped release some of my feelings ... Pain is not always a bad thing. It can be a learning thing".[36] Another collaborator was Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler.[13] One of Pink's musical inspirations, she met Tyler at a radio show in New York.[13] They bonded quickly, and planned to record a song together.[37][38] "Misery" had been written by Richie Supa and co-produced with Marti Frederiksen.[20] Tyler brought the song to Pink, who loved it and recorded it with him.[37] She described the collaboration as "an experience of a lifetime".[38]
Record-label dispute
Pink had begun working with Perry on Missundaztood without the knowledge of her record label.[19] After a few sessions, she played four songs (including "Get the Party Started") for producer L.A. Reid.[5] Although he considered that song a lead single choice, Reid rejected most of the other material.[5][23] Two weeks later, he and Pink met in Miami.[5] Reid was concerned about Pink departing from her R&B sound, alienating an audience who was expecting another album like Can't Take Me Home.[19][39] Her desire for more creative control met with resistance (since she was a new artist),[5] but Reid failed to persuade Pink to record more R&B songs.[5] After a vigorous dispute, he relented and gave Pink "the opportunity to fail".[5][40] Reid called the completed album a "masterpiece", however: "There was no doubt that it would be a huge record".[41] Pink discussed the danger of changing musical genres with the Los Angeles Times:
I knew the risk involved. I'd seen artists change styles and fail miserably, but I've also seen artists change and continue to do well. That's why Madonna has always been an inspiration for me. I told him I had faith in my ability and I was willing to take the chance. And I have so much respect for [Reid] because he turned around during that meeting. By the end, he said, "OK, let's do it".[5]
Missundaztood is a significant departure from the upbeat R&B style of Pink's debut album.[42][43] It is primarily a pop rock album with an eclectic mix of musical styles.[44][45] According to Ed Condran of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the album spans a variety of musical genres, from pop, rock, and disco to R&B, blues, and hip hop.[46]Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described its musical influences as "late-'80s, metal-spiked album rock, modern hip-hop and dance", with "dazzling modern pop production".[47] An E! Online reviewer said that the album draws from "'80s new wave, alternative rock, unashamed radio pop, and R&B".[48]MTV News journalist Jennifer Schonborn said that its fusion of styles has a "strangely" coherent quality.[49] According to music writer Paul Lester, Missundaztood's diverse musical textures "shouldn't have fit together, but defied all odds and did."[44] Kate Sullivan of Spin called Pink's direction "a rebellion against the producer-driven machinery that created her 2000 debut, Can't Take Me Home".[19]
The album's songs are characterized by a "harder, edgier, rock sound".[7]PopMatters' Jason Thompson wrote that Missundaztood's production melds "a funky ass bass line" with "some simple electric rhythm guitar and a spare synth line".[50] "Don't Let Me Get Me" and "Just Like a Pill" are driven by rock-influenced electric guitars.[51][52] "Get the Party Started" features vocodered vocals and elements of dance pop and new wave.[42][53][54] The sixth track on the record, "18 Wheeler", has been cited by critics for its arena rock influences and rock instrumentation.[13][34][47] Pink sings over a pop-R&B instrumentation combining a "snare" piano and strings on "Family Portrait".[13][55] The blues rock ballad "Misery" has "gritty" vocals and a guitar solo by Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora.[13][44][56] It is followed by "Dear Diary", with a trip hop beat.[57] "Numb" is an electropop song with grunge metal elements which, according to Lester, resemble the music of Nirvana.[34][53] The last track on Missundaztood, "My Vietnam", is a rock-neofolk ballad set to an acoustic guitar played by Perry.[53][58] Towards the end of the song, a sonic interpolation of Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" is heard.[59]
Lyrics and themes
The lyrics on Missundaztood explore personal topics such as self-identity,[60] loneliness,[49] family issues,[48] self-doubt,[61] and rebellion.[62] The album's title alludes to Pink's feeling of being misunderstood:[38] "I say the wrong things, I tell the truth, which tends to get me in trouble, and I'm a very eclectic person, so I feel that's misunderstood, as well."[38]ABC News called it "a guidebook to teenage angst told through the excruciating detail of Pink's childhood".[63] Todd Burns of Stylus Magazine said that Pink "emerges as a conflicted and deeply troubled artist that is unafraid to confront her demons".[64] The album's subjects were described by the music journalist Greg Kot as "autobiographical tunes that balance vulnerability with toughness".[57] Sadie Jo Smokey of The Arizona Republic compared it to early 1990s music, "when women sang about issues and experiences".[60] According to the Michigan Daily journalist Devon Thomas, Missundaztood's introspective lyrics reveal "a surprising sense of vulnerability".[59]
The title track is an "optimistic and spunky" song.[60] On "Don't Let Me Get Me", Pink describes her feelings of inadequacy and self-hatred.[42][65] According to Kot, the song can be interpreted as "[Pink's] own abjection as a teenager who never found a peer group to belong to".[57] Its lyrics also explore Pink's frustrations with the music industry: "L.A. told me, 'You'll be a pop star / All you have to change is everything you are.' / Tired of being compared to damn Britney Spears / She's so pretty, that just ain't me".[52] Thompson described the song as an attempt "to break free from the image making machine".[50] The next song, "Just Like a Pill", uses drug references as a metaphor for unhealthy relationships.[35] The track also explores substance abuse and personal insecurities.[43][66] "Get the Party Started" differs significantly from the album's primary introspection, suggesting "a fun, independent woman emerging to take charge".[60][59]
Personal themes are prevalent on Missundaztood, as demonstrated in "Family Portrait". Its autobiographical lyrics were inspired by the marital problems of Pink's parents and describe their constant fighting, which ended in divorce.
"Respect" has a female-empowerment message.[64] On "18 Wheeler", Pink explores accepting abuse before saying that "nothing will keep her down".[67] Family struggles are among the themes of "Family Portrait".[66] The song's emotive lyrics describe the tempestuous relationship of Pink's parents, which led to their divorce.[43][55] On "Lonely Girl", Perry asks Pink "Do you even know who you are? / Do you even know what you have?"[13] Schonborn said that Pink has difficulty answering; the song is "fraught with uncertainty and doubt".[13] The lyrics of "Dear Diary" explore disillusionment and abandonment,[68] and "Numb" deals with mourning a defunct relationship.[61] It is followed by "Gone to California", a socially-minded track.[53][54][69] The album ends with "My Vietnam", which examines Pink's self-discovery.[61] Its lyrics explore her father's military service in the Vietnam War and its aftermath on his and Pink's lives.[65] According to Lester, the song uses "the image of battle as a metaphor for [Pink's] turbulent upbringing".[35]
Marketing and sales
Missundaztood was released on November 20, 2001, on Arista Records.[20][2] The album was released in several European countries on January 28, 2002, with a different track order and the bonus track "Catch-22".[70][71][72] Its deluxe edition was released on November 26, 2002,[73] including the standard version of the album on CD and a DVD with music videos for "Family Portrait" and "Don't Let Me Get Me" and live performances of "Numb" and "Family Portrait" at Scala in London.[72] The album was released on vinyl in October 2017.[74][75][76]
Missundaztood debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 220,000 copies for the week of December 8, 2001.[91] It peaked at number six on January 26, 2002,[92] and spent a total of 90 weeks on the chart.[93] In the United States, Missundaztood ranked sixth among the best-selling albums of 2002, with sales of 3.1 million copies.[94] On October 22, 2003, the album was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of five million copies.[95] In Canada, Missundaztood peaked at number five on the Canadian Albums Chart[96] and was certified quintuple platinum by Music Canada (MC) for shipments of 500,000 copies.[97]
In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of 22,000 copies.[98][99] The album peaked at number two (behind Avril Lavigne's Let Go) for the week of January 18, 2003, almost a year after its release.[100] It sold 1.88 million copies in the UK by February 2023,[101] and was certified sextuple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[102] The album topped the Irish Albums chart for the week ending January 9, 2003, its best international charting.[103]Missundaztood peaked in the top five of album charts in Scotland (number two);[104] Austria, New Zealand and Norway (number four),[105][106][107] and Germany, Iceland and the Netherlands (number five).[108][109][110] It received multi-platinum certifications in Germany, Switzerland (double platinum);[111][112] Australia, and New Zealand (quadruple platinum).[113][114] The album sold 12 million copies worldwide by November 2003, becoming Pink's best-selling album.[115]
Missundaztood received generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 72 based on 15 reviews.[116]The Tampa Tribune's Cloe Cabrera described the album as "an edgy, rock-driven set", praising its focus on "loneliness, family discord and [Pink's] refusal to fit in".[122] Erlewine praised the album's mixture of "bewildering" sounds and attitudes with painful subjects, adding that "there hasn't been a record in the mainstream this vibrant or this alive in a long, long time".[47]
Thomas was impressed by Pink's "heartfelt and revealing" lyrics and "assured and confident" vocals, calling Missundaztood "an introspective charmer that shows the promise and versatility evident in a young and rising star."[59] Smokey said that the album eschews the "slick pop-R&B diva image" of Can't Take Me Home in favor of a rock direction.[60] For Billboard, Rashaun Hall called it "a rock-fused, hook-friendly set" and cited "Numb" and "Lonely Girl" as indicating Pink's versatility.[69]
Thompson saw the album as "cover[ing] such a wide array of style and substance", and highlighted Pink's songwriting.[50] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian viewed it as "an unusually three-dimensional picture of growing up in a broken home", and found it "surprisingly good".[54] Keri Callahan praised the album's honest lyrics and catchiness, which "echoes optimism and survival", in The Boston Globe.[123] In Entertainment Weekly, Jim Farber said that Missundaztood "captures girlish confusion with greater accuracy and delight" than Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill (1995) did, and Pink sounds "like Cyndi Lauper's long lost stepsister".[42]
Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised the album's diverse sound, which "differentiates [Pink] from the pop pack",[53] and called Pink's vulnerability "striking and seemingly more authentic" than Can't Take Me Home.[53] For The Village Voice, Robert Christgau called the portrayal of "credible personal pain rooted in credible family travails" "a next step for a genre I never thought would take one".[121]Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield called the album "the teen-popIn Utero", and appreciated Pink's expressive songwriting.[43]
Other reviewers were less enthusiastic. Los Angeles Times writer Natalie Nichols unfavorably compared Missundaztood with Can't Take Me Home, referring to its "tendency to sound vaguely familiar".[118] Alex Pappademas of Blender wrote, "Pink sees herself as a singer whose talent defies boundaries, but the melodic shortcomings of Missundaztood show that those eye-popping videos aside, she's no Madonna."[117]NME's Jim Alexander gave the album 1.5 of five stars, criticizing its overall content.[119]
Missundaztood influenced Christina Aguilera (pictured in 2003) to work with Linda Perry on her 2002 album, Stripped.
Missundaztood's release coincided with the declining popularity of teen pop music.[129] Sia Michel of Spin credited the album's success with the coming of age of former teen-pop fans and their growing interest in different types of music.[129] For The Guardian, Dorian Lynskey attributed Pink's new popularity to the "lucrative and untapped market" of "teenage girls who may have liked Britney three years ago but now have a taste for low-key rebellion, the Osbournes and boys with tattoos".[130] Most critics praised the album for its musical departure from contemporary music and altering the industry's perception of Pink as an artist.[131][132][133] Thompson called Missundaztood bold, and praised Pink for "breaking away from the stereotypes and misconceptions regarding pop stars".[50]Robert Hilburn wrote for the Los Angeles Times that Pink's reinvention (and its potential commercial impact) was initially questioned, but was later "a move industry observers now applaud as brilliant".[5]Idolator's Jon Reyes said that Missundaztood "defied expectations both in sound and themes".[134] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone cited the album as one of "one of the most radical R&B to-rock transformations since Prince abandoned disco for a Dirty Mind [(1980)]".[14]
In her 2019 book, White Negroes, Lauren Michele Jackson compared Pink's rebellious artistic transformation with Janet Jackson's Control (1986).[135] According to Jackson, Pink's choice to leave the black-dominated R&B industry would "ultimately keep her apart from her peers".[135] In a 2021 retrospective, Arielle Gordon of Stereogum said that Pink's opposition to her label's pressure to remain an R&B singer "somehow wrestled autonomy of her image and sound in an industry practically fueled by harnessing complete control of their young, primarily female stars."[68]People editor Lanford Beard called Missundaztood "a career-shaping album", which helped establish Pink as a "prolific creator of 'autobiographical songs filled with attitude'".[133] Pink said in a 2019 interview with Variety, "[Missundaztood] was a huge turning point in my life. But before it came out, I was being told that it's going to completely fail. Still, I was stoked to be given the opportunity to fail".[136]
The album's success enhanced Perry's songwriting career,[137] and she wrote songs with Alicia Keys, Courtney Love, and Gwen Stefani.[23][24] Perry recalled that her life "took a complete turn" after the release of Missundaztood and its lead single, "Get the Party Started",[23] and working with Pink helped her discover that "helping artists with their vision is kind of cool".[23]Christina Aguilera cited Missundaztood as a contributing factor to enlisting Perry as a collaborators for her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002):[131] "I wasn't a big fan of the Dallas Austin songs, but I really, really loved the Linda Perry songs. They had a really personal, real sense about them."[131]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
M!ssundaztood (CD liner notes). Pink. France: Arista. 2002. 7-43219-13242-0. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020 – via Fnac.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (LP liner notes). Pink. France: Sony. 2018. 0190758075310. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021 – via Fnac.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (CD liner notes). Pink. Germany: Arista. 2002. 7-43219-13242-0. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013 – via JPC.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (LP liner notes). Pink. Germany: Sony. 2018. 0190758075310. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021 – via JPC.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (CD liner notes). Pink. Japan: BMG. 2002. 4988017612125. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021 – via CD Japan.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (CD liner notes). Pink. Netherlands: Arista. 2002. 7-43219-13242-0. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021 – via Bol.com.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (Cassette liner notes). Pink. United States: Arista. 2001. ASINB00005RGI0. 07822-14718-2. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012 – via Amazon.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (CD liner notes). Pink. United States: Arista. 2002. ASINB00007B6RW. 07822-14808-2. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021 – via Amazon.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
M!ssundaztood (LP liner notes). Pink. United States: Legacy. 2017. 0190758075310. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021 – via CD Universe.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Print sources
Books
Betts, Graham (January 30, 2010). "The Noughties' Official UK Albums Chart Top 100". Music Week (4): 19–21. ISSN0265-1548.
Correia, Frank (June 7, 2002). "All-Star E-Mail"(PDF). Radio & Records (1456): 35. ISSN0277-4860. Retrieved November 13, 2021 – via American Radio History.
Daniels, Sky (October 12, 2001). "The 100-Million Club"(PDF). Radio & Records (1423): 36. ISSN0277-4860. Retrieved November 13, 2021 – via American Radio History.
Jones, Alan (February 9, 2002). "Chart Commentary"(PDF). Music Week: 17. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
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