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 her debut album Can't Take Me Home (2000), Pink became dissatisfied with her lack of creative control and being pushed to solely sing R&B music. Aspiring to follow a more raw, 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.
To promote the album, Pink made televised performances and embarked on the Party Tour in 2002. Four singles supported Missundaztood, three of which peaked within the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100: "Get the Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me", and "Just Like a Pill". A worldwide commercial success, the album reached number 1 in Ireland and the top five on album charts in Austria, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received multi-platinum certifications in other countries. The album has sold 12 million copies worldwide, making it Pink's best-selling album and one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.
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. The album is an R&B and dance-pop record with hip-hop influences. Produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, it was a commercial success and sold over three million copies worldwide. Can't Take Me Home had a mixed critical reception, however, with many critics saying it sounded too similar to American girl groups Destiny's Child and TLC. Despite Can't Take Me Home success, Pink felt dissatisfied and constrained by her lack of creative control and being marketed to a teen audience as an R&B singer. 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. 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.
Writing and recording
Sessions with Linda Perry
Pink stumbled upon the phone book of her makeup artist, Billy Brasfield, during a 2001 photo shoot for Teen. She discovered the number of Linda Perry, lead singer of the former American alternative rock band 4 Non Blondes. Pink cited Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992) as one of her favorite albums when she was growing up, and called Perry her "childhood idol". She noted Perry's number and called her, leaving a 10-minute message on her answering machine. 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".
A few minutes later, Perry called Pink back and invited her to her house in Los Angeles. When Pink suggested writing a song with her, however, Perry was initially reluctant. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Perry said: "I told [Pink] 'I'm not hip at all. I make low-fi, garage-sounding classic rock records Pink responded, "I know — that's what I want". Afterward, Pink met Perry. Missundaztood recording sessions began in Perry's home studio, with Perry at the piano asking Pink to express her feelings in a melody. Pink felt "petrified" and confused at first, since she was accustomed to a different creative process. As Perry began to play chords over a rough instrumental, Pink picked up a microphone and started to ad-lib. In about five minutes, they wrote and recorded "Eventually". Its lyrics were improvised, and Pink's vocals were recorded in one take. Perry described the song's creation as emotional, helping Pink to feel comfortable and understood during the recording process.
A week before meeting Pink, Perry worked on a song titled "Get the Party Started". Unfamiliar with new musical technology, Perry decided to call a friend and ask him about it. She then purchased equipment, including a Korg Triton synthesizer, an Akai MPC, a TASCAM DA-88 recorder, and Roland expansion cards. Perry originally had no goal in mind, and was "just figuring out what all [that] stuff does". She programmed her first beat, and made extensive use of a bass guitar, a horn sample, and looping "weird chords and sounds". 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. Aware of its commercial appeal, Perry unsuccessfully offered "Get the Party Started" to Madonna. She brought the song to Pink's attention soon after the Missundaztood sessions began, and Pink agreed to record it.
Pink moved into Perry's home for several months. They intended to write 25 songs for the album, and spent their time "kicking around ideas". The sessions in Perry's home studio yielded about 20 tracks in a month and a half, emphasizing introspection and emotional discovery. Working with Perry was an essential factor in Pink's decision to take artistic control of her album. 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. Pink considered the album's creation "amazing, liberating, inspiring", and felt that she and Perry had forged "five years of friendship in six months". 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".
Other collaborations
After signing with LaFace in 1996, Pink met Dallas Austin. Austin generally disapproved of Pink's R&B direction, and his sessions for Can't Take Me Home were unproductive; however, she wanted to work with him again on her forthcoming album. They pursued a pop rock sound, and the material they had written took on an autobiographical form. Austin co-wrote and produced four songs on Missundaztood ("18 Wheeler", "Don't Let Me Get Me", "Just Like a Pill", and "Numb"), all of which have introspective lyrics. 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".
Pink worked with Scott Storch on "Family Portrait", a song which originated as a poem Pink wrote at age nine. The track explores her parents' divorce, and growing up in a dysfunctional family. Reflecting on these themes, Pink acknowledged how this affected her life was and decided to express her suffering through a song: "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". Another collaborator was Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler. One of Pink's musical inspirations, she met Tyler at a radio show in New York. They bonded quickly, and planned to record a song together. "Misery" had been written by Richie Supa and co-produced with Marti Frederiksen. Tyler brought the song to Pink, who loved it and recorded it with him. She described the collaboration as "an experience of a lifetime".
Record-label dispute
Pink had begun working with Perry on Missundaztood without the knowledge of her record label. After a few sessions, she played four songs (including "Get the Party Started") for producer L.A. Reid. Although he considered that song a lead single choice, Reid rejected most of the other material. Two weeks later, he and Pink met in Miami. 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. Her desire for more creative control met with resistance (since she was a new artist), but Reid failed to persuade Pink to record more R&B songs. After a vigorous dispute, he relented and gave Pink "the opportunity to fail". Reid called the completed album a "masterpiece", however: "There was no doubt that it would be a huge record". 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".
Musical style
Missundaztood is a significant departure from the upbeat R&B style of Pink's debut album. It is primarily a pop rock album with an eclectic mix of musical styles. 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. 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". An E! Online reviewer said that the album draws from "'80s new wave, alternative rock, unashamed radio pop, and R&B". MTV News journalist Jennifer Schonborn said that its fusion of styles has a "strangely" coherent quality. According to music writer Paul Lester, Missundaztood diverse musical textures "shouldn't have fit together, but defied all odds and did." 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".