So What (Pink song)

"So What"
Song
B-side	"Could've Had Everything"

"So What" is a song written by American pop singer Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. It was released as the first single from Pink's fifth studio album Funhouse.

"So What" was performed by Pink at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, on September 7, 2008, and is being used to promote the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Latin America. Pink performed So What on MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 on November 6, 2008 - 40,000 feathers were released on stage making her unable to sing the line "And you're a tool, so..." , due to having a few feathers in her mouth.

On the weeks ending of September 26, 2008, Pink scored her first solo number-one hit in her native USA. It has also reached #1 in several countries, including a large part of the Anglophonic world.

Background

The song was written by Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. Martin also produced the track. Pink and Martin are responsible for their hit songs from Pink's previous album, including the US top-10 hits Who Knew and U + Ur Hand. Many critics and fans thought the song was about Pink's divorce in the beginning of this year. The first lines of the song says

Guess I just lost my husband.
I don't know where he went.

An indication that the song was about the divorce. However, in interviews the singer stated that the song was not autobiographical, only a few aspects of the song were.

The song was intended to be released to radio in the States later than its release date. As the song leaked on the internet, La Face Records decided to release the song on radio on August 18, 2008, as well as the digital version. The track was released on the American CHR on August 18, 2008. It was released digitally on American iTunes on August 19th, 2008, and on September 2nd, it reached #1 on the store. The track has also peaked at #1 on iTunes Canada.

The song leaked onto New Zealand radio station, The Edge on August 5, but they were instructed from SonyBMG that they were not to play it due to an international embargo on the track.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the song began receiving actual radio airplay from August 7 and was instantly on high rotation across both the Austereo and DMG Radio Australia networks. In New York, WHTZ better known as Z100 played the song on the morning show at 8:45am EST on the Elvis Duran and the Morning Zoo to great response.

The song was released in the UK on September 29, 2008. The song is currently on the A-list of BBC Radio 1 playlist.

It has been questioned whether Pink has something against singer Jessica Simpson, as this is the second time Simpson has been negatively referenced in a Pink single, the first being "Stupid Girls". Pink then said on the matter - "Everyone thinks I'm trashing Jessica Simpson, but I'm actually not at all, "I'm actually saying that she's cooler than me 'cause the waiter keeps taking my table and giving it to her." She was originally going to use "The pilot took my private jet and gave it to Haylie Duff" but, according to Pink, it "wasn't as funny".[6]

Music video

Dave Meyers, who is known for having artists giving a over-the-top portrayal of celebrities or themselves, directed the video for "So What". Pink previously worked with him for the videos to "U + Ur Hand" and "Stupid Girls", which earned MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video. Pink also worked with Meyers on the videos for "There You Go", "Most Girls", "You Make Me Sick", "Get the Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me" and the Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle track "Feel Good Time". The video was shown on August 22 on FNMTV. The video has premiered on 22nd August on the UK music site Popjustice.

Pink posted a message on her website for her fans what it was like to shoot the video:

If you EVER get a chance to drive a lawnmower down Sunset Blvd - I highly suggest it. Thanks for making my day. I'm really, really, really excited. This video was too much fun... glad you likey's and don't worry - Carey likey's too. We are insane.

— P!nk, Pink's official website

A split screenshot showing a love heart carved on a tree with Pink's birth name and the name of her ex-husband. The second shows Pink cutting down the tree.

The video begins in a tattoo parlour, Pink is getting a tattoo on her arm before the scene cuts to Pink riding down Sunset Boulevard on a lawnmower and drinking alcohol. Pink is then shown entering Guitar Center browsing guitars. She pretends to play before attempting to smash it into the ground, but she is restrained by a store clerk which leads to them engaging in a fight. Pink is shown cutting down a tree engraved with her real name and her ex-husband's names with a chainsaw. She cries on the chainsaw, while telling herself that she is all right, right before the tree falls and nearly crushes her neighbor (played by Will Sasso). After this, Pink is sitting in a bar after losing her table to Jessica Simpson, accompanied by a man who is playing the drums out of glasses.

The next scene goes to Pink on a motorbike, while a newly wedded couple in a car pull up beside her. Jealous and outraged at the happy newlyweds, Pink is shown throwing objects at the car and popping the wedding balloons, before climbing onto it and playfully (albeit violently) attacking the vehicle. Pink is then shown stripping on the red carpet, surrounded by photographers, she takes off her jacket to reveal her (blurred) nude body. The paparazzi all snap photos of her as she does choreography from Michael Jackson's video for Thriller naked. Then while getting her hair done, her stylist applies hairspray, as Pink turns on her lighter, accidentally setting her hair on fire. Also shown are two men urinating in bottles, which they give to Pink, however Pink passes them to two guys walking past her. They drink it and then realizing what it is, spit it out in disgust. Finally, Pink is shown surrounded by men and women in their underwear engaging in a pillow fight. The video then cuts between all the scenes shown in the video before ending with Pink poking her tongue at the camera with her ex-husband.

Pink is also shown performing the song in concert near the end. Pink's ex-husband Carey Hart makes cameos throughout the video, such as a scene where they are talking as newspaper headlines flash behind them. Producer Butch Walker also makes a cameo. Pink has stated that Hart had not heard the song prior to arriving for the video shoot.

The video was released on Saturday, September 6th on iTunes, and quickly jumped to the #1 video spot on the iTunes chart in less than 24 hours of it being listed.

The scene from the video where Pink sets her hair on fire, is censored on MTV UK and its sister channels. That scene is replaced with other short clips from the video.

On Pink's official YouTube channel, the video gained over 17 million views, and it's her most viewed video on the site to date.

Critical reception

"So What" has been critically well-received, with the website Popjustice giving it a positive review. Popjustice described the song as 'very amazing'.

Chris Williams of Billboard gave the track a very positive review, enjoying the "insatiable melodic verses meant for massive car singalongs and a chorus combustion followed by a fist-in-the-air refrain." He also called it "an irresistible soundscape that will transform listeners into rock stars singing their very own breakup song." Ryan Dumble of Blender gave "So What" a 3 out of 5 stars, commenting, "The disses are a bit immature ("I'm just fine and you're a tool") but there's a voyeuristic allure to the track", later saying "she's going for it." The New York Times called the song "perfunctory".

UK entertainment website Digital Spy also praised the song, calling it "packed with attitude" and "terrifically catchy" Guide gave a positive review saying: "A singsongy intro gives way to a martial beat and chorus that's likely to send fists pounding into the air." About.com lauds the track noting that this song is a good comeback for the singer; "Pink is back and not to be ignored." Wellheart Music Journal says of the song 'kick-ass spit fire tune which rank among her fiercest, and she has the charisma to pull it off and remain relevant, unlike her contemporaries who continue to wither and wash up (Avril Lavigne).'[7]

Track listings and formats

2 Tracks CD 88697-37277-2

1. "So What" — 3:35
2. "Could've Had Everything" — 3:09

Maxi CD 88697-37281-2

1. "So What" — 3:35
2. "So What" (Instrumental) — 3:35
3. "Could've Had Everything" — 3:09
4. "So What" (Video) — 3:41

2 Tracks Limited Collector's Edition CD 88697-40941-2

1. "So What" — 3:35
2. "So What" (Bimbo Jones Radio Mix) — 3:36

US Promo CD 88697-36800-2

1. "So What" (Clean) — 3:35
2. "So What" (Main) — 3:35

UK Promo CD-R

1. "So What" (Clean Version) — 3:34

UK Promo CD-R (Remix)

1. "So What" (Bimbo Jones Radio Mix) — 3:38
2. "So What" (Bimbo Jones Full Remix) — 7:32

Chart performance

"So What" debuted at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Pink's highest debut to date on the chart. The song has since peaked at #1, making it her first solo #1, and second overall after "Lady Marmalade", a collaboration with Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Lil' Kim. It is Pink's ninth top ten hit on the chart, and her third consecutive. In its first week the song debuted at #4 on the Hot Digital Songs chart with sales of 116,611 downloads, moving up to #2 on the chart the following week. It has sold over two million copies in the U.S. to date. For the week ending 3 October, 2008, "So What" jumped to claim the top spot on the Hot 100 knocking off T.I's single Whatever You Like from the top spot for two weeks. It also peaked at #1 on the Digital Track Chart and the Digital Songs Chart. The song has also been a huge success in Canada where it has peaked at #1. Where it also got to #1 on the Digital Chart of Canada and on the airplay chart it is currently at #12.

The following week it went to #1 on the ARIA Digital Chart and debuted at #4 on the ARIA Singles Chart, reaching # 1 on September 21. It has also been certified Platinum with 70,000 in sales. It is Pink's 4th #1 in Australia.

In Sweden it had Pink's highest debut there, at #9, and has climbed to #2, making it her highest charting single there. In other Scandinavian countries it also debuted, in Denmark it debuted at #14 and in Finland it debuted at #13. In the Netherlands, the song debuted at #28 on the official Dutch Top 40, where it has peaked at #4 so far.

In Belgium So What debuted at #48 in Flanders and at #32 in Wallonia, and in the combined chart at #36. The next weeks So What climed to a number 4 in Flanders. Also in Austria it debuted at number #14 on Austrian Top 75, but dropped out the chart in the second week. Several weeks later it came back to Austrian chart and has since peaked at #1.

It has reached #1 on the official New Zealand RIANZ chart becoming her first number one since "Don't Let Me Get Me" in 2002 and the first country that "So What" became number one in. "So What" spent five consecutive weeks at number one in New Zealand and was certified Gold after eight weeks with sales of 7,500+.

On September 28, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at #38 on downloads alone based on two days worth of sales. After the songs physical release, the following week "So What" knocked Kings of Leon's "Sex On Fire" from number one, beating the comeback singles from Oasis ("The Shock of the Lightning") and Boyzone ("Love You Anyway"). "So What" is Pink's second solo number one single in the UK, the first being "Just Like a Pill" and third overall, including "Lady Mamalade". It also sets the record for the biggest jump to number one within the top 40 as it jumped 37 places to number one, beating last year's 34 place jump by Sugababes with "About You Now". It sold 4,096 units when it debuted at number 38 after one day of download sales. It sold in its first full week 53,264 copies which is the third-biggest #1 sales in the UK in the year 2008. Only Duffy sold more with "Mercy" (53,594) and Estelle with "American Boy" (60,497). In its second full week it sold 44,037 copies. It its third full week and fourth overall, its sales increased marginally to 44,982, bringing its total sales up to 146,379 so far. It in fifth week it sold a further 37,986 totaling 184,365 units. However, due to leaked units or copies (it is unknown when they leaked), total sales actually stand at 185,387 to date, as quoted by MusicWeek. In its sixth week the song moved a further 35,664 units bringing its sales to 221,051 and therefore being eligible for a Silver certification (200,000+ sales).

It has also become Pink's biggest UK single to date.

"So What" entered the German Singles Chart at #1 (3 weeks so far) on the October 11, 2008 chart, making it Pink's first solo #1 there as well. It has also knocked off Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" on the United World Chart and European Top 100.

On October 19, 2008, "So What" was announced #1 for a third week in a row in the UK top 40 singles chart.

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
ARC Weekly Top 40	1
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	1
Austrian Media Control Singles Chart	1
Belgian Ultratop Singles Chart	4
Canadian Hot 100	1
Danish Singles Chart	3
Dutch Singles Chart	10
Dutch Top 40	4
Eurochart Hot 100	1
Finnish Singles Chart	2
France Singles Chart	5
German Media Control Singles Chart	1
Irish Singles Chart	1
Israeli Singles Chart	3
Italian Singles Chart	14
Japan Hot 100	28
Czech Republic Airplay	1
Korean International Chart	19
Mexican Top 100	35
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	1
Norwegian Singles Chart	3
Swedish GFP Singles Chart	2
Switzerland Media Control Singles Chart	1
Turkey Top 20 Chart	2
UK Singles Chart	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	37
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay	3

Certifications and sales

Country	Certification	Sales
		Digital	Singles
Australia	2xPlatinum	140,000+
Europe	-	2,660,000
New Zealand	Gold	7,500+
United Kingdom	Silver	271,320
United States	2x Platinum	2,062,332
Worldwide sales	-	5,141,152

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
New Zealand	August 15, 2008	Digital download, airplay	Sony BMG
Australia	August 16, 2008	Digital download, airplay
United States	August 19, 2008	Digital download, airplay	LaFace, Zomba
Canada	August 19, 2008	Digital download, airplay
Australia	September 20, 2008	CD single	Sony BMG
Germany	September 26, 2008	CD single, digital download
Switzerland		CD single, digital download
United Kingdom	September 26, 2008	Digital download
United Kingdom	September 29, 2008	CD single
Japan	September 30, 2008	CD single, airplay, digital download

External links

• Official "So What" music video on YouTube

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