"Just Like a Pill" is a song by American singer
Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
. It was written by Pink and
Dallas Austin
Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer.
Biography
Early life
During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfirmed events inv ...
and produced by the latter for the singer's second
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, ''
Missundaztood
''Missundaztood'' is the second studio album by American singer Pink. It was released on November 20, 2001, by Arista Records. After the success of '' Can't Take Me Home'', her 2000 debut album, Pink became dissatisfied with her lack of creat ...
''. The lyrics of the song deal with getting out of painful relationships, with a subtheme about drug abuse.
The song was released worldwide as the third single from ''Missundaztood'' in June 2002 and was a commercial success, peaking at number eight on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. It also performed well internationally, reaching number one on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and peaking within the top 10 in 12 additional countries.
Background and composition
"Just like a Pill" was written by
Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
and
Dallas Austin
Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer.
Biography
Early life
During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfirmed events inv ...
, who also produced and arranged the song. Pink said in an interview that the song shows "part of who I am", referring to her documented problems with drugs.
"Just like a Pill" is set in the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
of
A major
A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...
with a moderate
pop-rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and ...
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
in
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
.
The song follows a
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
of
A–
Fm–
D–
E, and Pink's vocals span from
E3 to
C5.
Reception
Critical response
The song was generally well received by contemporary music critics. ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' called it "the third best track off her killer last album".
Drowned In Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
's Robert Luckett commented that it is "a fascinating record...this is a record with a
edge, a kind of pot boiling over at any moment, ready to go off at any time vibe." He also wrote "it obeys the pop industry's well-dusted rules for a hit."
Stylus Magazine
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
's Todd Burns, in his review of the album, compared "Just like a Pill" to the other singles from the album, "
Don't Let Me Get Me
"Don't Let Me Get Me" is a song by American singer Pink. It was released as the second single from her second studio album, ''Missundaztood'' (2001) on February 18, 2002. "Don't Let Me Get Me" received positive reviews from music critics, who pr ...
" and "
Get the Party Started
"Get the Party Started" is a song by American singer Pink, released on October 16, 2001, as the lead single from her second album, ''Missundaztood'' (2001). It received positive reviews and became an international success and reached the top ten ...
", writing "The guitars... sound much more integrated into the work and the overall song works far better."
The song was shortlisted by
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
as a nominee for the best single of 2002, finishing third in the vote to
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
' "
By the Way
''By the Way'' is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released July 9, 2002, on Warner Bros. Records. It sold more than 286,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. Si ...
" and
Liberty X
Liberty X (originally called Liberty) are a British-Irish group originally consisting of Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. The group was formed by the five finalists of the 2001 ITV talent show ''Popstars' ...
's "
Just a Little".
Chart performance
In the UK, the song scored Pink her second number-one single in that country, whilst peaking at number two in Austria, Ireland and New Zealand, and within the top 10 in many countries across the world including Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium. It peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
In Australia, the song was a radio-only single in hopes of rising album sales. Although it was a number-one radio hit, a physical release never eventuated; however, it did appear as the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
to the Australian release of "
Family Portrait Family Portrait may refer to:
Portraiture painting
* Family Portrait (Hals, four persons), ''Family Portrait'' (Hals, four persons), a 1635 painting by Frans Hals
* Family Portrait (Hals, five persons), ''Family Portrait'' (Hals, five persons), ...
".
In late June 2009, the song charted at number 97 on downloads, most likely due to Pink's national tour.
Music video
The video for "Just like a Pill" was directed by
Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an Austrian-born American filmmaker and producer. After establishing himself as a director of music videos and commercials, Lawrence made his feature-length directorial debut with the superhero thrille ...
for
LaFace Records
LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achie ...
.
The video is considerably different from Pink's previous videos. "Get the Party Started" and "Don't Let Me Get Me" were lighter in nature than the dark atmosphere which is reflected in the video for "Just like a Pill", an example of which is the fact that Pink can be seen throughout the whole video wearing black outfits with naked arms and legs and wearing black hair. Commenting on the different style of video, Pink said: "This one's very dark and artsy, and I have black hair, which is very fun. I loved it. It's another part that I haven't concentrated on before."
In the first scene, Pink lies on the floor. In the chorus she sings in front of her band. She is also featured in another scene with white rabbits around her in a room, and in another scene, she is seen with an elephant. There are also scenes with Pink singing in front of and amongst various people. In the latter half of the video, she runs in a hall whilst lip-synching the song, before disappearing into a bright doorway atop a staircase at the conclusion of the video.
After the elephant scene Pink decided to stop using animals for her videos. In an interview, she explained: "This poor elephant...a huge elephant, it's so cute, and I could see how painful it was for it to get down on its hands and knees, ... I didn't like it. I won't do that again.
..No more animals."
[
]
Track listings
* US CD single
# "Just Like a Pill" (album version) – 3:57
# "Just Like a Pill" (instrumental) – 3:52
# "Don't Let Me Get Me" (Ernie Lake Ext. Club.vox) – 5:49
* Canadian CD single
# "Just Like a Pill" (main) – 3:57
# "M!ssundaztood" – 3:36
* UK CD and cassette single
# "Just Like a Pill" (radio version) – 3:57
# "Just Like a Pill" (Jacknife Lee Remix) – 3:46
# "Get the Party Started" (live at La Scala) – 3:17
* European CD single
# "Just Like a Pill" (radio edit) – 3:57
# "Just Like a Pill" (Jacknife Lee Remix) – 3:46
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from the ''Missundaztood
''Missundaztood'' is the second studio album by American singer Pink. It was released on November 20, 2001, by Arista Records. After the success of '' Can't Take Me Home'', her 2000 debut album, Pink became dissatisfied with her lack of creat ...
'' album booklet.
Studios
* Recorded at Pinetree Studios (Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which sep ...
, Florida)
* Mixed at Larrabee Studios North (North Hollywood
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
, California)
* Mastered at Hit Factory Mastering (New York City)
Personnel
* Pink – writing, vocals, background vocals
* Dallas Austin – writing, production, arrangement
* Carlton Lynn – recording
* Doug Harms – recording assistant
* Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing
* Rick Sheppard – MIDI
MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
and sound design
* Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. In the 2000s the chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday, and the top 40 singles were revealed each Sunday on BBC Radio 1. Before the ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Just Like A Pill
2001 songs
2002 singles
Cascada songs
Music videos directed by Francis Lawrence
Number-one singles in Scotland
Pink (singer) songs
Song recordings produced by Dallas Austin
Songs about drugs
Songs written by Dallas Austin
Songs written by Pink (singer)
UK Singles Chart number-one singles