PINK A BADASS ROLE MODEL
Whether it’s Kesha bravely standing up to Dr. Luke’s alleged abusive behavior, Taylor Swift facing up to Kanye West’s derogatory language, or Meghan Trainor proudly preaching body positivity, the modern music world features many women refusing to be cookie-cutter pop stars.
They all owe a little something to Pink. The Pennsylvanian has been touting similar messages and using her platform to speak out for nearly 20 years, and she’s not letting up. Her stirring acceptance speech for the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards was a plea for individuality. She also explained to “CBS Sunday Morning” that her current single “What About Us” (from her album “Beautiful Trauma,” out Friday) is a “protest song about people in this country and in many countries that just feel invisible and feeling forgotten.”
It’s all in a day’s work for the singer. Here are three other times the 38-year-old, three-time Grammy winner was a total badass.
Telling LA Reid where to go
Pink (real name Alecia Moore) signed to LaFace Records as a solo singer in the late ’90s. Label co-founder LA Reid tried to mold a cleaned-up image for her, and suggested she take elocution lessons. Pink refused, and referenced the incident in the 2002 hit “Don’t Let Me Get Me.”
Standing up to Prince William
When British royalty comes calling, most people jump. But when Prince William (a Pink fan) requested she play his 21st birthday in 2003, her reply was to rip him for his pro-hunting stance, saying she was “disgusted to learn that you hunt animals for fun.”
Not taking any diva behavior
When Pink teamed up with Mýa, Lil’ Kim, and Christina Aguilera for their 2001 version of “Lady Marmalade,” Aguilera’s label execs stormed into a meeting and tried to take the most prominent part for their client. As Pink recalled on VH1’s “Behind the Music” in 2009, she sharply replied that Aguilera “will not be taking that part. I think that’s what the f -- king meeting’s about.’” The incident started a minor beef between the two singers, which was finally buried earlier this year.