Try This
Third studio album by American singer Pink, released November 11, 2003, on Arista Records.
Try This is the third studio album by American singer Pink, released on November 11, 2003, by Arista Records. Wanting to expand on the rock sound she had explored on her previous record, Missundaztood, for Try This Pink collaborated with punk band Rancid's singer and guitarist Tim Armstrong, and reunited with Linda Perry, who produced most of the Missundaztood album. As a result of this collaboration, Try This is a rock and roll and pop record, with lyrics exploring such themes as love and estrangement. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, and earned Pink her second Grammy Award, for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Pink
- Released
- 11 November 2003
- Recorded
- 2002–2003
- Genre
- Pop; rock
- Length
- 51:52
- Label
- Arista
- Producer
- Tim Armstrong
- Billy Mann
- Jonathan S. Davis
- Damon Elliott
- John Fields
- William Orbit
- Linda Perry
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trouble | Pink, Tim Armstrong | 3:12 |
| 2 | God Is a DJ | Pink, Billy Mann, Jonathan S. Davis | 3:44 |
| 3 | Last to Know | Pink, Armstrong | 4:03 |
| 4 | Tonight's the Night | Pink, Armstrong | 3:56 |
| 5 | Oh My God (featuring Peaches) | Pink, Armstrong, Merrill Nisker | 3:42 |
| 6 | Catch Me While I'm Sleeping | Pink, Linda Perry | 5:03 |
| 7 | Waiting for Love | Pink, Perry, Eric Schermerhorn, Paul Ill, Brian MacLeod | 5:28 |
| 8 | Save My Life | Pink, Armstrong | 3:16 |
| 9 | Try Too Hard | Pink, Perry | 3:13 |
| 10 | Humble Neighborhoods | Pink, Armstrong | 3:52 |
| 11 | Walk Away | Pink, Armstrong | 3:38 |
| 12 | Unwind | Pink, Armstrong | 3:12 |
| 13 | Love Song | Pink, Damon Elliott | 2:29 |
| 14 | Hooker (hidden track) | Pink, Armstrong | 3:04 |
Track listing from the source article.
Background and composition
After the success of Missundaztood and its Party Tour, Pink began work on her third album, seeking to expand on its rock sound. Most tracks were produced and co-written by Tim Armstrong, whom she met at a Transplants video shoot; they co-wrote ten songs in a week while Transplants toured with the Foo Fighters, eight of which appear on Try This. Three songs were written with Linda Perry, who co-wrote much of Missundaztood. The album includes a collaboration with electroclash artist Peaches on "Oh My God" and Pink's soundtrack contribution "Feel Good Time" (produced by and featuring William Orbit) as a non-U.S. bonus track.
Try This was Pink's final studio album under Arista Records. She later expressed unhappiness with the label's demands after Missundaztood's success, describing the promotional campaign as an awful time. The album carries a Parental Advisory warning and was released alongside an edited version. Musically, Try This is a pop/rock album incorporating punk rock, R&B, new wave, and disco elements.
Promotion
The album's lead single, "Trouble," which Armstrong had originally written for his band Rancid in 2003, became a top-ten hit in the UK and Australia and reached number two in Canada, though it only climbed to number 68 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 2003, "Catch Me While I'm Sleeping" was released as a promotional single in the US, and a promo CD-R acetate of "Humble Neighborhoods" was made available in the UK. The next single, "God Is a DJ," did not chart on the Hot 100 but hit number 11 in the UK.
A third single, "Last to Know," came out only in Europe, peaking at number 21 in the UK. Pink toured Europe in 2004 with the Try This Tour, and a DVD documenting the tour was released in 2006. "Trouble" appeared in the films White Chicks, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, as well as the first theatrical trailer for Tangled, while "God Is a DJ" was featured in Mean Girls.
Critical reception
Try This received almost entirely positive reviews, with an average Metacritic rating of 71, indicating generally favorable reviews. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated it four out of five stars, stating that Pink had established a voice of her own and made another tremendous modern pop record. Blender critic James Slaughter noted the raunchier guitars and potty-mouthed lyrics but said the music never lost its melodic touch. Nick Catucci of The Village Voice called the album a rare leap of faith and a miracle of pop.
David Browne of Entertainment Weekly gave a positive review, calling it a hooky, engaging throwaway that expands Pink's range, though he was less impressed with Linda Perry's contributions. Some negative reviews appeared: Ethan Brown from New York magazine described Pink's seriousness as Lifetime-TV mawkishness, and Alexis Petridis from The Guardian commented that the album sounded like a wan imitation of Missundaztood.
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