"What About Us" is a song recorded by the American singer-songwriter Pink for her seventh studio album Beautiful Trauma (2017). RCA Records released the song for digital download and streaming on August 10, 2017, as the album's lead single. The song, which was written by Pink, Johnny McDaid, and its producer Steve Mac, is an electronic dance music (EDM) track with upbeat dance production that blends repetitive chords, synthesizers, and drum machine beats with an electropop rhythm. Pink, who was inspired by the politics of the time, composed it as a political protest song with poetic and inclusive lyrics. The song's lyrics explore Pink's belief that the United States' government had failed its people and sent a message about those who feel unheard or forgotten.
Music critics gave "What About Us" mostly positive reviews; many of them commended the production and Pink's vocal performance while others appreciated the song's political message and the anthemic nature of the composition. It peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and gave Pink her record-breaking ninth number-one song on the Adult Pop Songs chart, surpassing Katy Perry as the soloist with the most chart-topping songs on the chart. The song also reached number one on the national charts of eight countries, including Australia, Poland and Switzerland, and peaked within the top 10 in 12 other territories, including Canada and the United Kingdom. It is certified Diamond in France, eight-times Platinum in Australia, five-times Platinum in Canada, and Platinum or higher in fourteen additional countries. "What About Us" was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
An accompanying music video for "What About Us" was directed by Georgia Hudson and released on August 16, 2017. It depicts Pink and members of minority groups performing several choreographed routines in an abandoned city while being chased by searchlights from hovering helicopters. The video received positive reviews from critics, who praised the choreography and the representation of oppressed groups, as well as the song's political theme. To promote the song, Pink performed it live at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, on Saturday Night Live, and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, among other televised appearances, as well as her Beautiful Trauma World Tour (2018–2019). The song has been covered several times during live performances by other artists, including Kelly Clarkson and Liam Payne.
Writing and inspiration
After conducting The Truth About Love Tour (2013–2014) in support of her sixth studio album The Truth About Love (2012), Pink took a nearly-four-year hiatus to focus on her personal life and find inspiration. During the hiatus, she concentrated on her family and living "a normal life", which influenced her music. Fifty songs were composed throughout the development of Beautiful Trauma, including "What About Us".
"What About Us" was written by Pink, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac, and was produced by Mac. In an interview with Vulture, Pink talked about the experience of writing the song, stating, "it was just another day I was angry about what's happening in the world". The singer decided to have discussions and anecdotes with McDaid to develop ideas for the album's songs; McDaid said Pink had "so much to say" and expressed herself "really profoundly". "What About Us" was written and recorded during the session; according to Pink, "those are those kinds of songs where it just falls out of you, that's why I think you're just a vessel when you're being creative".
When asked about the creation of the song, McDaid said: From my perspective the creation of it is about looking into yourself, interacting. It's like alchemy, you know, you interact with the person there in the room and ... these things, these ideas come out and what the ideas are for [Pink] are probably different to even the person hearing it. And that's the beauty of her, she really allows people to receive her music the way they do.
Composition and lyrical interpretation
"What About Us" is an upbeat EDM song, with a length of four minutes and twenty-nine seconds. The synthesizer-heavy production of the song makes use of "pounding" drums, "glistening" keyboards, and a "pulsating" dance beat. It draws influences from four on the floor, club, and electronic music. According to the sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing at Musicnotes.com, "What About Us" is set in the time signature of common time. This song is composed in the key of A major with a moderate tempo of 114 beats per minute. It follows a chord progression of Fm–D–A with Pink's vocals spanning one and a half octaves, going from A to E.
Music journalists noted "What About Us" starts as a ballad with piano and acoustic arrangements, and appears at first to be about a relationship. Mike Nied of Idolator described the song as "part break-up anthem, part political call to arms". Gil Kaufman of Billboard shared a similar sentiment, saying the lyrics can be interpreted as "commenting on the state of the world, or the state of the heart". Pink described the song as a political protest song that provides social commentary on her belief the US government had failed people. According to Pink, the "more sophisticated" nature of the song stems from the poetic and inclusive lyrics, which send a message about people around the world who feel ignored or forgotten. The track also took inspiration from the 2016 United States presidential election and the current political state.
In an interview with Billboard, McDaid said "What About Us" "is a question ... not an instruction", and the unclear question is "essential to its brilliance". According to him, Mac's technique of using repetitive chords can be compared with a heartbeat or a mantra, giving the song a sense of "this incredible, epic celebration" and unity. In "What About Us", Pink asks urgent questions during the "insistent" and "soaring" chorus, singing, "What about us?/ What about all the times you said you had the answers?/ What about us?/ What about all the broken happy ever afters?". Ross McNeilage of MTV and Justin Moran of Out both noted political undertones behind the lyrics; McNeilage said they can "definitely be taken as an anthem of resistance to the current state of political affairs" while Moran said the questions are addressed to "a dishonest political leader".
Release and artwork Prior to the single's release in July 2017, Pink teased it on her social media page using a recording made on the set of the music video . Pink officially announced the release date of "What About Us" on July 24, 2017, posting a picture on her social media. The image shows the singer, seen from behind, standing in front of a city landscape and a police car. Pink later unveiled the single's artwork, which is a black-and-white picture that shows her in a group with "beautifully diverse" models. The picture was photographed by Ryan Aylsworth.
"What About Us" was released for digital download and streaming on August 10, 2017, by RCA Records as the lead single from Beautiful Trauma, along with the pre-order of the album. An accompanying lyric video was uploaded to Pink's YouTube channel simultaneously with the song's release. RCA Records also released the track to Italian contemporary hit radio stations on the same day. A CD single was released in Germany on August 18, 2017, through Sony Music. On September 15, 2017, a remix EP with four versions of "What About Us" was released for digital download and streaming in several countries. On October 20 of the same year, a remix of the song by Dutch DJ Tiësto was made available for digital download.
Critical reception "What About Us" was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics. Althea Legaspi of Rolling Stone considered it an "emotional dance floor anthem". Writing for The New York Times, Caryn Ganz commended the track and highlighted Pink's vocals, saying, "she lets the emotion in her tremendous voice do the heavy lifting, shifting from wonder to frustration to anger". Vulture writer Dee Lockett was impressed by the song's upbeat production in contrast with the lyrics about "capturing such a desperate mood". Louise Bruton from The Irish Times said the song's message addresses "the marginalised and the mistreated".
While reviewing Beautiful Trauma, Mike Nied of Idolator praised "What About Us" for being an "insightful statement" and lauded the "effortlessly cool" production. Mike Wass, also from Idolator, favored the track's blending of acoustic and electronic elements and praised Pink for being able to create a political song "without being obnoxious". Lewis Corner of Gay Times called the track "a scaling anthem ready for an arena show". Labeling "What About Us" an "empowering ballad", Raisa Bruner from Time said the song marks a departure from Pink's "bombastic tendencies" and showcases "the depth of [Pink's] feelings" as well as her powerful voice. Allison Bowsher of Much said the song is "her most politically and socially conscious song to date".
In his review of Beautiful Trauma for Variety, Chris Willman labeled the song a "sad dance-floor thumper" with beseeching, "soul-searching" lyrics. Hilary Hughes of MTV News praised the song's production, stating it sounds "steady, dance floor-ready", and positively compared the song to Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars" (2015). Andrew Unterberger from Billboard also noted similarities between the "spectral EDM foray" of "What About Us" and "A Sky Full of Stars". According to Unterberger, the "anthemic" song also has themes of "hurt, anger and fear". Deeming the track as a "political anthem", Moran complimented the powerful message of "honest desperation and untouchable strength". In his review of the album, Slant Magazines Josh Hurst called the song "spacy [and] atmospheric".
For Lauren Moraski from HuffPost, "What About Us" was a "strong pop song that showcases Pink's vocal chops". Chris Gerard from the Washington Blade described it as a "yearning, emotional anthem" and noted Pink's "sincere and deeply felt" vocals, saying the song is "among the finest singles" of her career. ABC News critic Allan Raible named "What About Us" one of the standout tracks from Beautiful Trauma and wrote Pink's vocal performance gives it a "surprisingly organic heft". In a negative review, The Guardians Gavin Haynes labeled the song as "the worst sort of Katy Perry anthemics about how we're all just 'rockets pointed up at the stars'". "What About Us" received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Annual ceremony.
Commercial performance
In the US, "What About Us" debuted at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 26, 2017, although it was released during the last day of the tracking week. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the song sold 16,000 copies in its first day of release, entering the US Digital Songs chart at number 30. After its first full week of tracking, "What About Us" peaked at number three on the chart and rose to number 29 on the Hot 100, selling 55,000 copies and becoming Pink's 23rd top 40 song on the chart. The track later peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100 following the release of Beautiful Trauma. "What About Us" debuted on the US Radio Songs chart at number 41 with 30 million audience impressions and peaked at number three on the chart. It also peaked at number 10 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart for the week ending November 11, 2017.