Music
Review
Feature: P!nk crowned pop royalty at Wembley Stadium
She rounded off her Beautiful Trauma UK dates with two London shows this weekend.
With a twenty year career under her belt, P!nk’s popularity continues to grow, having in the past two years released the chart topping Beautiful Trauma and the most recent Hurts 2B Human. Yet unlike pop contemporaries such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande, P!nk’s status has remained comparably understated. Not one for headlines, P!nk has predominately remained under the radar, emerging thoughtfully for moments of social or politically commentary. Largely, however, P!nk has always let her music take centre stage.
On her current World Tour, which rolled into the UK earlier in June and culminated over the weekend with two sold out shows at London’s vast Wembley Stadium, P!nk pulls her catalogue of timeless pop hits together with her vibrant personality for a true entertainment spectacle. Famed for her circus inspired live show, the first night of her double-Wembley appearance is as hot as the British evening sun.
Offering over twenty tracks from across her two-decade-long catalogue, it’s P!nk’s message that shines brightest. Supporting her ever-powerful lyrics, from the heart of What About Us to the political shade of Can We Pretend and the introspection of early classic Just Like A Pill, each song speaks directly to the audience. Her empathy for her fans’ struggles, not least mental health, gender and LGBT+ equality, is worn firmly on her sleeve. Facilitating some spectacular costume changes, the video screens between songs run empowering messages of hope and unity with genuine humility and sensitivity.
This passion runs throughout P!nk’s performance, from her interaction with her band and dancers to her touching chats with the audience. Even as she brings daughter Willow onto stage it feels far from contrived, Willow herself clearly loves every moment. This intimacy is profound, not least when balanced against the mesmerising theatrics accompanying the more upbeat numbers. For Secrets P!nk performs in the midst of aerial acrobatics, while set climax So What sees the singer glide across the huge stadium on a wire.
Far from gimmicky, it cements P!nk as a performer of two halves; one who stands solo centre stage and delivers a heart-melting rendition of Glitter In The Air – a beautifully subdued end to the evening – and one who can pack a punch with her punk inspired sound. These rock credentials are cemented with a mash up of the quirky Funhouse with No Doubt’s classic Just A Girl. There are clearly two sides to P!nk, and both sit harmoniously wrapped by her personable nature and expert performance.
P!nk may be the comparable underdog, but this hasn’t stopped her reaching the top tear of pop royalty. With her second-to-none showwomanship, the empowered connection with her fans and her catalogue of undisputed bangers, P!nk is nothing short of a queen in her own right.
Find more tickets to concerts and tours across the UK through Ticketmaster.co.uk. Remember to add P!nk to your favourites in My Account to receive e-mail notification when she next returns to the UK.
Photos by Andrew MacPherson
