The Truth About Love Tour was the sixth
concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
by American recording artist
P!nk
Alecia Beth Moore Hart (born September 8, 1979), known professionally as Pink (stylized as P!nk), is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She was originally a member of the girl group Choice. In 1995, LaFace Records saw potential ...
. Sponsored by
CoverGirl
CoverGirl is an American cosmetics brand founded in Maryland, United States, by the Noxzema Chemical Company. It was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1989 and later acquired by Coty, Inc. in 2016. The Noxell Company advertised this cosmetics li ...
, and showcasing music from her sixth studio album ''
The Truth About Love'' (2012), the tour played over 140 shows in Australia, Europe and North America. Shows in Melbourne, Victoria were recorded and released on a concert DVD, ''
The Truth About Love Tour: Live from Melbourne''.
Critical response
The Truth About Love Tour received widespread acclaim from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Jason Bracelin from the ''
Las Vegas Review-Journal'' called P!nk a: "party girl with a heart of gold", while Jim Harrington from ''Mercury News'' said Pink "is the new gold standard", adding that:
you definitely don't walk away from a Pink show shrugging your shoulders and muttering 'meh.' It's far more likely that fans practically skip out of the building, feeling extremely satisfied with the experience and determined to tell others to 'go see Pink next time she's in town' ..Honesty is, as they say, the best policy. And, after watching the Truth About Love Tour, I can honestly say that few, if any, performers deliver better pop spectacles than Pink.
August Brown of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' opined that P!nk is: "perhaps the most gifted and imaginative physical performer in pop right now." He believed P!nk's set served as a reminder that: "her best asset in performing – more than her aerialist talents or Joplin-esque power-rasp voice, is her self-awareness."
Steve Appleford from ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', who was also at the L.A. show, described the vaudeville as a: "grown-up, sophisticated show, and Pink was relaxed and chatty between songs." He went on to praise the singer, adding that:
by the time Pink was soaring gracefully through the air on cables stretched across the arena to perform "So What", the singer had demonstrated an epic workout of vocals, stagecraft and stunt-work without missing a note. The night's best special effect was Pink herself.
Craig Rosen from ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' summed up the show with: "P!nk launches back to the top of pop with acrobatic stunts and killer vocals."
After the Houston show, Jane Howze from ''Culture Map Houston'' gave a positive review, believing that The Truth About Love show was poised to be 2013's concert of the year. She added:
I have always said that Chris Martin, frontman of Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
is the hardest working entertainer around, but I’m reconsidering, and now I’m giving Pink the nod. A Pink concert is a little like a Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
performance. There is so much happening on stage—the songs, the dancing and of course the acrobatics—it is a feast for the senses.
Giving a rave review, Sean Daly of ''Times Pop Music Critic'' judged P!nk has proven:
there are no longer any viable excuses for a performer to ever lip-synch again. If this 33-year-old mom could soulfully belt out opening hit "Raise Your Glass" while boing-boing-ing rafter-high via bungee ropes, the Britney's and Beyoncé's of the Top 40 realm can't claim dance moves or chilly climes as decent reasons to switch off the mike.
Of her Palace of Auburn Hills show, Adam Graham of ''
The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...
'' stated: "Tuesday's concert was Pink's first area headlining show since 2002, and she's now entered a master class of pop spectacle providers. She displayed the physicality of Madonna in the way she led her troupe of dancers, and the production was on par with that of any big name pop act".
Mario Tarradel of ''
Dallas News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galveston ...
'', in his review of P!nk's Dallas show, felt that:
It's easy to like Pink. Her rock-charged brand of pop-dance is radio ready, but it's anchored in wit and grit. She's got a pliable voice with lung power and melodic grace. She's unbelievably taut with abs of steel and an adventurous streak. She's got attitude, and no qualms about tossing a few expletives. But mostly Pink is an awesome performer. Pink is a natural.,
The ''
Toronto Sun
The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...
'' complimented P!nk's performing abilities:
Pink was up for anything and everything as she bounced around on bungee cords, twirled around on hanging cloths, danced like a modern day Isadora Duncan and in the show's jaw-dropping pentultimate song, "So What", flew around the arena attached to four cables that turned her into a rock n’ roll Tinkerbell. She was equal parts gymnast, singer, dancer and even drummer.
The ''
Star Tribune'' gave the show an overwhelming review, stating that P!nk:
put on arguably the most daring concert in the history of arena rock ..It was incredibly entertaining — way superior to Madonna's and Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
's. It set a standard that Rihanna (coming Sunday) and Beyoncé (due in July) will have to live up to.
Jim Farber of ''
NY Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ...
'' gave a rave review of the show, saying that P!nk:
reaches new heights in performance that puts her talent, composure on display ... yet it's to Pink's considerable credit that no matter how many bright lights, fast-moving sets or fancy dancers surrounded her, she kept her talent and character front and center. In the end, that's what gave the audience its ultimate high.
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' gave a glowing review of P!nk's vocals and performing skills:
"The "Truth About Love" tour is a lot of things (including game show and circus) but it is one thing above all: a showcase for the power-pop anthem, which Pink pulled and pushed on with a showboating snarl. Do you have to be a Pink fan to enjoy the tour? It's a ridiculous question: you’ll be blasted by almost two hours of music and end up a Pink fan, regardless. The wall-to-wall setlist had its interludes, in the form of spotlit one-offs (a guitar solo; an appearance by a man-in-the-moon straight out of a Méliès short; philosophy from our host of the game show-within-a-tour) and a late-in-the-night turn toward the acoustic. But the audience filled in around even the sound of a lone instrument. This was not the kind of crowd for stillness.
James Reed of ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' praised her vocals, stating that she is the: "rare performer who handles party anthems ("Raise Your Glass") and heartbreaking ballads ("Just Give Me a Reason") with equal élan."
''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' gave the show an extremely positive review, stating that:
as ever with Pink, it is all about the movements, her athleticism, a wow factor that makes Madonna's taught and precise dance scenes on The MDNA Tour
The MDNA Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her twelfth studio album, '' MDNA'' (2012). Comprising 88 shows, the tour began on May 31, 2012, in Tel Aviv's Ramat Gan Stadium and concluded in Cór ...
seem desperately flat. So here's the key: the reason Pink's live show is one of the best in the world is her live USP, which is aerial athleticism. You can have all the pyro you want at a Rihanna show, and all the ridonkulous costume changes at a Gaga gig, but Pink can FLY. The sense of danger as she descends silks, clambers around a spinning steel globe cage, the Broadway bonanza of her zip-lining into the gods, that's what makes Pink gigs next level. And man do the crowd appreciate it. Screaming women with identikit haircuts whoop her every flex and step. They know that nobody else can do a show like this. It's Pink's territory and hers alone. It's an aesthetic, however, that is also pretty over. While the topic of sex is occasionally apparent in Pink's writing (most awkwardly in ‘**** Like You’), she is a completely different beast to the plastic sex cartoons that Katy Perry, Britney, Christina, Rihanna, and basically every other poptart animate. Some people take all the glory for themselves, but Pink puts on a show, and then acknowledges the hard work from many that goes into it, even if as the remarkable centrepoint to it, she could probably claim all the kudos in the world.
Alice Vincent of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' gave the show 4/5 stars, praising the show's set list:
Pink's set list was well curated from an extensive back catalogue, rewarding hardened fans with a short medley of the early R&B tracks which made her a star. That these were performed with the same genuine enthusiasm as the hits from her last album (her seventh but first to make number one in America), is a testament to Pink's talent, and explains why she continues to sell records. Ten-year-old songs don't sound dated because she has maintained the same energy and sass that she created them with.
Ian Gittins of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' gave the show 4/5 stars, conceded that: "Pink may not be the most original singer-songwriter touring the world's enormodomes, nor the most gifted, but she makes up for these shortcomings with a live show akin to a pop-punk take on Cirque du Soleil."
Polly Coufos of ''
The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
'' praised P!nk's cover of
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
's "
Time After Time":
A little later this fearlessness was echoed with her first performance of Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time. She tackled the pop classic with the lyrics in her hand, the tentative reading providing great balance with the precision required for most of the numbers. That may be Pink's greatest asset, that she can create a spectacular show that more than matches her peers, but the glitz never hides the pure, unvarnished talent at her core.
The ''
Herald Sun'' reviewed one of P!nk's 18
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
shows:
P!nk's The Truth About Love tour takes concerts to the next level by aiming for the sky. The singing acrobat spends a good third of this new show in the air defying gravity because, unlike 99 per cent of her contemporaries, she can. And even when she's hanging upside down or spinning above your head she's singing completely live. Again, because she can.
Commercial performance
Over 320,000 tickets for the Australian leg of the tour were sold within a few hours of release. The tour broke records for a solo artist tour in Australia with over 650,000 tickets sold. 200,000 tickets were sold for shows in Melbourne breaking a record P!nk had set herself with 2009's
Funhouse Tour. At the
2013 Billboard Touring Awards, Pink won the award for "Top Boxscore".
The first North American leg of tour grossed $28.3 million from 26 shows, with an average gross per city of $1,134,385. The European leg grossed $30.7 million. The nine-week leg of Australia was expected to generate $100 million.
In Australia, initial grosses reported topped $31.6 million ($29.2 million) from two venues in Sydney and one in Brisbane, however that total did not include the four-night stint in the city of Adelaide, and a record-breaking eighteen shows in Melbourne.
The Truth About Love Tour was the third highest-grossing tour of 2013 behind Bon Jovi, and Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour. P!nk was also the third highest grossing female touring artist of 2013, behind
Beyoncé and
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
.
Records
The Truth About Love Tour broke two records at the
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year.
History
Replacing ...
, in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia. P!nk is the artist who has performed the most shows at the venue, with a significant 18 sold-out shows on The Truth About Love Tour. This record surpassed her previous 17-show record at the venue during her 2009
Funhouse Tour. She was also the first artist to sell more than 250,000 tickets at the venue. On August 26, 2013, P!nk was rewarded a plaque backstage, a second pink pole, a star at the venue's entrance and Door 18 was painted pink.
P!nk broke
Kylie Minogue's record of most concerts by a female performer at the Entertainment Centre having played twenty-six shows at the venue. Her four sold-out shows at the Allphones Arena in Sydney with more than 67,000 tickets sold, broke the record set by fellow popstar
Britney Spears in 2009 with her
The Circus Tour.
After playing to nearly 15,000 fans per night in Perth, P!nk now also holds the record for most performances by an artist at the Perth Arena, as well as the top four attended events at the venue.
Michael Coppel, President and CEO of Live Nation Australia, thanked P!nk for spending three months on tour in this country. "Everyone at LNA has been thrilled to be involved in Pink's record breaking tour, continuing a decade-long association with an artist who continues to set new standards and who has now sold in excess of 1.5 million tickets in Australia."
The pop star broke her own mark at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena with the 18th sold-out performance, having set a house record in 2009 with seventeen shows on her Funhouse tour. The combined gross of $29.2 million (US$) in Melbourne was the largest gross for any headliner at a single venue in 2013.
P!nk also sold out the KFC Yum!, in the process becoming the highest-grossing female artist to play the arena to date.
Development
To transport and set up the tour, there was a chartered 747 jumbo jet, nineteen semi-trailers, and eighty crew members to set up 400 tons of equipment. She also opened her first
pop-up store which featured things that are not normally available at her concerts. Merchandise included autographed items, backstage passes, T-shirts, key rings, show tickets, etc.
Recordings
''Truth About Love Tour: Live From Melbourne'' was released in November 2013 on DVD.
Set list
The following set list is representative of the show in Melbourne. It is not representative of all concerts for the duration of the tour.
#"
Raise Your Glass
"Raise Your Glass" is a song by American singer Pink (singer), Pink from her first greatest hits album, greatest hits compilation ''Greatest Hits... So Far!!! (Pink album), Greatest Hits... So Far!!!'' (2010). The song was written by Pink, Max Ma ...
"
#"
Walk of Shame"
#"
Just Like a Pill
"Just Like a Pill" is a song by American singer Pink. It was written by Pink and Dallas Austin and produced by the latter for the singer's second studio album, ''Missundaztood''. The lyrics of the song deal with getting out of painful relationsh ...
"
#"
U + Ur Hand
"U + Ur Hand" is a song by American pop singer Pink. It was lined up as the third single from her fourth studio album '' I'm Not Dead'' (2006). It was released on August 28, 2006, and ignited controversy due to its explicit lyrical content and st ...
"
#"
Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)"
#"
Try
Try or TRY may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio
* ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs
* "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987)
* "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014)
* "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004)
* " Try (Ju ...
"
#"
Wicked Game
"Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third album, '' Heart Shaped World'' (1989). Despite being released as a single in July 1989, it did not become a hit until it was featured in the 1990 David Lync ...
"
#"
Just Give Me a Reason
"Just Give Me a Reason" is a song recorded by American singer Pink featuring Nate Ruess of the band Fun. The song was chosen as the third single from Pink's sixth studio album, '' The Truth About Love'' (2012). Written alongside producer Jeff Bh ...
"
#"
Trouble"
#"
Are We All We Are
"Are We All We Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter 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 St ...
"
#"How Come You're Not Here"
#"
Sober"
#"The Great Escape"
#"
Who Knew
"Who Knew" is a song by American singer Pink from her fourth studio album, ''I'm Not Dead'' (2006). Written by Pink, Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, the song was originally released on May 8, 2006, by the LaFace label to radio as the ...
"
#”
Time After Time”
#"
Fuckin' Perfect
"Fuckin' Perfect" (stylized "Perfect" on the clean version, and as F**kin' Perfect on the main cover) is a song by American singer Pink from her first greatest hits album '' Greatest Hits... So Far!!!'' (2010). It was released on December 14, 201 ...
"
#"
Most Girls" / "
There You Go
"There You Go" is a song recorded by American singer Pink for her debut studio album '' Can't Take Me Home'' (2000). The song was co-written by Pink, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, and Kandi Burruss and was produced by Briggs, while Burruss produced ...
" / "
You Make Me Sick"
#"Slut Like You"
#"
Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Pink from her sixth studio album, '' The Truth About Love'' (2012). Pink wrote the song with its producer Greg Kurstin. The song was released as the lead single from the album on ...
"
Encore
#
" So What"
Notes
* During the first leg of the tour, "Glitter in the Air
"Glitter in the Air" is a song recorded by American singer Pink for her fifth studio album ''Funhouse'' (2008). It was written by Pink and Billy Mann, with the latter producing it. The song is a pop ballad with a soft piano accompaniment and drum ...
" was performed as the final song. Moreover, "Family Portrait Family Portrait may refer to:
Portraiture painting
* ''Family Portrait'' (Hals, four persons), a 1635 painting by Frans Hals
* ''Family Portrait'' (Hals, five persons), a 1648 painting by Frans Hals
* ''Family Portrait'' (Kralj), a 1926 paint ...
" was performed at selected dates (like in Los Angeles on February 16, 2013).
* At selected dates in Australia, P!nk performed an acoustic version of Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
's " Time After Time".
* Nate Ruess
Nate Ruess is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder and lead singer of the indie pop band Fun, and of The Format. As of 2015, he also performs as a solo musician.
Early life
Ruess was born the second child of Larry ...
joined Pink onstage during the performance of "Just Give Me a Reason" in Hamburg on May 1, 2013.
Shows
Cancelled shows
Notes
References
External links
Official tour website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Truth About Love Tour
Pink (singer) concert tours
2013 concert tours
2014 concert tours
Concert tours of Australia
Concert tours of Canada
Concert tours of Europe
Concert tours of France
Concert tours of Germany
Concert tours of Ireland
Concert tours of North America
Concert tours of Oceania
Concert tours of the United Kingdom
Concert tours of the United States