Review: P!nk Knocks the Twin Cities Out in Second Round of Beautiful Trauma World Tour
The pop icon returned to Minneapolis-St. Paul with a tailored version of the long-running show.
P!nk knows her audience. No other pop star interacts with fans like she does. It’s genuine and effortless. She seems at home in a sold-out arena. Perhaps that’s why she extended her 2018 Beautiful Trauma World Tour into 2019, with a second North American leg that made its way to the Xcel Energy Center last night.
She was ill for her past two Twin Cities shows, but returned in full fighting form. Although much of the show remained the same, it felt tighter and joyous this time around; likely due to health and having completed several dozen more shows. Not to mention, a second US leg is the ultimate victory lap for any pop tour.
The whole show felt slick. From the trapeze opener “Get the Party Started” to the arena-wide aerial adventure of “So What,” P!nk did not miss a beat. Although known for her trapeze work and stunts, P!nk’s dancing has never been so tight. Along with a slew of attractive dancers, nailed demanding choreography while coming across rehearsed, yet breezy. Her dance performance was up there with some contemporary greats, like Lady Gaga.
In a surprising turn, P!nk censored her own songs throughout the night, removing all f-bombs. The language editing seemed out of place, as most of the audience was of middle age. In the American tradition, violence and sex remained. A gruesome interlude video featured claymation couples brutalizing one another, and another segue included closeups of androgynous naked bodies grinding on one another.
Although she released her new album Hurts 2B Human just over a week ago, only two new tracks were performed. The tongue-in-cheek “Hustle” felt like a natural addition to the early part of the show, fitting in with sassy fan favorites like “Revenge (feat. Eminem)" and “Funhouse." Lead single “Walk Me Home” blended in nicely into the Alice In Wonderland-inspired Nature section, and P!nk began the song on a flying bed.
Her voice sounded stronger than ever. In comparison to all her Minnesota shows in the past 12 years, it’s the best she’s ever sounded. Backup singers did assist during stunts and breathers, but P!nk’s mic remained live with absolutely no playback. Considering the aerial nature of her show, that’s impressive.
After a stunning encore performance of “Glitter in the Air,” P!nk ran to embrace her daughter side stage, and carried her off.
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