Popstar P!nk to be Honored at the Billboard Music Awards

Image+via+Philadelphia+Inquirer

Image via Philadelphia Inquirer

Ryan Gorneault, Entertainment Editor

It’s time to get the party started! Pop music superstar P!nk (real name Alecia Beth Moore) is set to receive the Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards for her contributions to the music industry. She follows in the footsteps of artists like Stevie Wonder, Prince, Cher, Janet Jackson, and Mariah Carey, who have all won the Billboard Icon Award since it was introduced in 2011.

“As a little girl, I always dreamed about being a singer and sharing my love of music with the world,” she explained in a press release. “It’s a true ‘pinch me’ moment and I feel humbled and blessed.”

P!nk’s career took off in 2000 with the release of her LA Reid and Kandi Burruss produced album “Can’t Take Me Home” and singles like the R&B-inspired “There You Go,” which hit number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. By 2001, she recorded and released her sophomore album “M!ssundaztood” to commercial and critical acclaim, releasing certified hits like “Get the Party Started” and “Just Like a Pill.” 

P!nk was surely comfortable releasing pop songs but soon discovered that switching up her style favoring a more aggressive pop-rock sound would result in immense success. Her album “Funhouse” effectively transformed her career, and the fact that her lead single, “So What,” was about her highly publicized breakup from motocross competitor Carey Hart only helped her gain extra popularity from fans. The music video for that song featured P!nk driving a lawnmower down Sunset Boulevard, cutting down trees with chainsaws, vandalizing cars owned by happily married couples, and stripping on a red carpet. All in the name of proving to her ex that she did not need him. The song and video were a massive success, and the “Funhouse” album won three Grammy Awards.

Since then, P!nk released three more albums, pushing away from her pop-rock music in favor of a more traditional pop sound. Outside of music, she has appeared in movies like” Get Him to the Greek,” “Happy Feet Two,” “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” and “Thanks for Sharing,” and even made a cameo in an episode of “SpongeBob SquarePants.” She also recorded a new theme song for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to celebrate the show’s thirteenth season.”

While it is not entirely clear what P!nk’s Billboard Music Award performance will look like, she typically ups the ante during award show performances with ridiculous aerial stunts. So, it can be assumed she will do the same during this show as well. The ceremony, which Nick Jonas will host, will air on Sunday, May 23rd, 2021, on NBC and presumably feature performances by some of music’s biggest stars, such as The Weeknd, the most nominated artist this year.