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Can't Take Me Home

Can't Take Me Home is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Pink. It was released on April 4, 2000, through LaFace Records, two years after disbanding of the girl group Choice, where Pink served as a soloist. The R&B and dance pop record, Can't Take Me Home was produced by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Babyface, Kandi Burruss, Terence "Tramp Baby" Abney, Daryl Simmons, and Tricky, while Pink shares songwriting credits on seven out of thirteen tracks. L.A. Reid served as the executive producer of the record. Lyrically, most tracks on the album speak about relationships.

Album received moderate commercial success, peaking in the top ten in album chart of Australia and the top twenty in the United Kingdom and Canada. In the United States, it peaked at the 26 spot in the Billboard 200 chart. Retrospectively, It was certified double Platinum in Canada, Australia and the United States, and Platinum in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Can't Take Me Home received mixed-to-positive reception from contemporary music critics, with some of them comparing style of the record with those of Destiny's Child, Aaliyah and TLC. Later, Pink revealed her dissatisfaction about music direction of the album, her personal image during its promotional campaign and the lack of creative control she was offered.

The album produced three singles. "There You Go" and "Most Girls" received huge commercial success, both landing inside the top ten in the charts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand the United Kingdom and the singer's homeland, United States. where they peaked at numbers 7 and 4 respectively. The third single, "You Make Me Sick", was less successful worldwide, but it peaked at nine spot on the United Kingdom single chart. Following the commercial success of the singles from the album, Pink won the New Female Artist of the Year award at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards.

Background

In 1995, Pink and two other teenage girls, Sharon Flanagan and Chrissy Conway, formed the R&B group Choice. A copy of their first song, "Key to My Heart", was sent to LaFace Records in Atlanta, Georgia, where L.A. Reid overheard it and arranged for the group to fly there so he could see them perform. Afterward, he signed them to a recording contract with the label. The group relocated to the label's then-headquarters in Atlanta to record an album. Despite it failing to see a commercial release, their song "Key to My Heart" appeared on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Kazaam. During a Christmas party, Reid gave Pink an ultimatum: "go solo or go home." Choice subsequently disbanded in 1998.

After Choice disbanded, Pink signed a recording contract with LaFace Records and began working on her first solo album with producers like Babyface, Kandi Burruss and Tricky Stewart.

Composition

Overview

Sonically, Can't Take Me Home is a dance-pop and R&B record. In terms of its sound, it received comparison with the works of TLC, especially their 1999 record FanMail — both albums share same team of producers and L.A. Reid as the executive producer. Recording sessions for the album took place in Unique Recording Studios, New York City. Can't Take Me Home was produced by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Babyface, Kandi Burruss, Terence "Tramp Baby" Abney, Daryl Simmons, and Tricky. Pink co-wrote seven out of thirteen tracks on the album. Lyrically, the main themes of the record are love and relationship.

Songs

The album opens with "Split Personality", a "schizoid" track, where Pink sings about her mental condition: ”You don’t know me well enough to label me sick, or even disturbed / When you break it down I’m just two girls / Everybody’s got insanities / I got a split personality.” "Let Me Let You Know" is an "affecting ballad", where Pink uses "Mariah Carey warbling." "There You Go" was found similar to "Bills Bills Bills" by Destiny's Child and "No Scrubs" by TLC with its theme about female empowerment and independence, which are being touched once again in "Most Girls".

Release and promotion

Album was released on April 4, 2000, through LaFace Records. To promote the record, Pink was billed as a supporting act on the North American leg of NSYNC's No Strings Attached Tour throughout the summer of 2000. Pink also performed "Most Girls" at the 2001 American Music Awards.

Singles

"There You Go" was released as the lead single from the album on January 18, 2000. Following its release, it received positive receptions from the music critics, who called it "edgy". It first entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the issue dated March 4, at the twenty fifth spot. Six weeks later it peaked at number seven. Additionally, it peaked at number 2 on the Dance/Club Songs and the Pop Songs charts, and number 4 on the Rhythmic radio chart. It was certified Gold by RIAA for shipment of 500 thousands copies in the United States. Elsewhere, it peaked inside the top ten in the charts of eight more countries, including second spot in Australia, where it eventually received Platinum certification by ARIA for shipment of 70 thousands copies. It also gained Platinum certification in the United Kingdom and Gold in New Zealand. The accompanying music video for "There You Go" was directed by Dave Meyers and debuted via The Box in late November 1999.

"Most Girls" was released as the second single from the album on June 6, 2000. it proved to be even more successful than the lead single, reaching top ten position in six countries, including top position in Australia, where it was eventually certified double Platinum by ARIA, and second spot in Canada and New Zealand, where it was eventually certified Gold. In the United States, it debuted at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on the issue dated August 12, 2000. Three months later, it rose up to number four, becoming her highest charting solo single in the States until 2008, when she toped the chart with "So What". "Most Girls" was also her first single to top the Rhythmic radio chart. As of November 2010, it sold out 95 thousands copies in the United States.

The third single, "You Make Me Sick", impacted american radio stations on November 27, 2000, as the album's third and final single. It was less successful than previous, only reaching thirty third spot in the United States. However, it peaked inside the top ten in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Netherlands. It was eventually certified Gold in Australia. As of November 2010, it sold out 93 thousands copies in the United States. The accompanying music video for "You Make Me Sick" was filmed in late 2000 and was directed by Dave Meyers."You Make Me Sick" was featured in the 2001 film and the soundtrack for Save the Last Dance.

Other songs

"Split Personality", which was not released as a single, was featured in the 2001 film The Princess Diaries.

Critical reception

Can't Take Me Home received mixed-to-positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, the senior editor of AllMusic, found the album similar to the works of TLC, but he complemented Pink's vocal performance, saying, that "she may not be able to deliver ballads with assurance and soul just yet, but she never over-sings". Commenting on the album's content, he wrote: "While there are no bad cuts on Can't Take Me Home, there aren't any knock-out punches, either." Robert Christgau also gave a positive review, grading it B+. He commented: "When she admits to the loss of her slurred "cherry" in the finale, you can only wonder how sexy she'll be when she shows pink for real". NME gave a positive review on the album, grading it six out of ten. saying: "Sadly, Pink‘s debut is a little samey and suffers from the diva disease that modern R&B acts [...] are helping to stamp out." Q also gave a positive review, giving it four out of five stars.

Entertainment Weekly gave the album a mixed review, grading it C+. They were critical towards its originality, saying: "Home [...] sounds as familiar as your doorbell; there’s hardly an original musical moment on it". Jam! and MTV Asia also gave mixed reviews; the latter gave album the grade five out of ten, saying that "Pink’s music is typical stuff, stuff that puts her in the same vein as current R&B". They added: "At the end of the day, I guess it still comes down to her hair color and streetwise attitude. After all, music is not always the main reason why an artist becomes hip and popular all of a sudden.". Rolling Stone gave a mixed review, giving it two and a half out of five stars. They wrote: "Her debut has one awesome single in "There You Go," whose wronged-woman sass is set to a stop-start groove so bling-bling it redeems a chorus", continuing: "Beyond that, though, every melismatic groan, every clipped harmony, every post-Timbaland beat, every synth setting is copped from some R&B hit of the last eighteen months." They concluded their review, saying that "[Pink] makes a pretty good Monica, but we already have one of those."

Accolades

On the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards she was nominated in the Best New Artist category. On 2000 Billboard Music Awards, Pink was honored with New Female Artist of the Year for commercial performance of the album and its single. She was also nominated for Female Hot 100 Singles Artist and Female Artist of the Year. On 2001 Brit Awards she was nominated for Best International Female Solo Artist and Best International Newcomer categories. On 2001 American Music Awards, Pink received nomination Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist.

Commercial performance

Can't Take Me Home received moderate commercial success worldwide. In the United States, it debuted and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200 chart. It is Pink's only studio album to not enter the top ten of this chart. It spent fifty nine weeks on chart, and became sixty six best performing record of the 2000 on the chart. It once again entered the Billboard year-end chart in 2001, placing at number ninety eight. Can't Take Me Home also entered the R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, peaking at number twenty three. It spent fifty five weeks on this chart and was ranked as eighty seventh best performing record on this chart in 2000. Eventually, Can't Take Me Home was certified as double Platinum by RIAA for shipment of two million copies in the United States. In Canada, album peaked at the nineteenth spot on the national album chart, while peaking at number 4 on the Canadian R&B Albums chart. It was the 33-th best selling album in Canada of 2000 and 177-th of 2001. Later it received two Platinum status by Music Canada for shipment of 200 thousand copies in the country.

Can't Take Me Home did much better in Australia, where it peaked at the tenth spot on the national album chart and topped the Australian R&B Albums chart. It was the 32 best-selling album in Australia during 2000 and eventually it was certified double platinum by ARIA for shipments of 140 thousand copies in country. In New Zealand, Can't Take Me Home peaked at the twelfth spot on the national album chart and became forty-fourth best-performing album of 2000 in country. It was eventually certified as Platinum by Recording Industry Association of New Zealand for shipments of fifteen thousand copies in New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, album peaked at number thirteen and was certified Platinum by British Phonographic Industry ever since. It was placed at number 67 at the British year-end chart of 2000 and at number 176 in 2011. It also reached third spot on the UK R&B Albums chart.

Elsewhere, record reached 48th spot in Belgia, 58th in Netherlands, 85th in Germany, 23rd in Ireland and 26th in Scotland.

Retrospective commentary

Despite Can't Take Me Home's 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.

Tired of being marketed as another cookie cutter pop act, as well as eager both to be seen as a more serious songwriter and musician and to perform the type of music she wanted to, Pink took her sound in a new direction and sought more artistic or creative control during the recording of her second album, Missundaztood. She recruited Linda Perry, former singer of 4 Non Blondes. Perry co-wrote and co-produced the album with Dallas Austin and Scott Storch, and according to VH1's Driven program, Antonio "LA" Reid of LaFace Records was not initially content with the new music Pink was making. 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, 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". The album, named Missundaztood because of Pink's belief that people had a wrong image of her, was released in November 2001. Kate Sullivan of Spin called Pink's direction on the album "a rebellion against the producer-driven machinery that created her 2000 debut, Can't Take Me Home".

Most critics praised the musical departure from contemporary music and altering the industry's perception of Pink as an artist. Robert Hilburn wrote for the Los Angeles Times that Pink's reinvention (and its potential commercial impact) was initially questioned, but was later "a move industry observers now applaud as brilliant". In her 2019 book, White Negroes, Lauren Michele Jackson compared Pink's rebellious artistic transformation with Janet Jackson's Control (1986). According to Jackson, Pink's choice to leave the black-dominated R&B industry would "ultimately keep her apart from her peers". In a 2021 retrospective, Arielle Gordon of Stereogum said that Pink's opposition to her label's pressure to remain an R&B singer "somehow wrestled autonomy of her image and sound in an industry practically fueled by harnessing complete control of their young, primarily female stars."

Due to Pink's opinion on the album, she had not performed its songs from 2001 until her 2013 The Truth About Love Tour.