Just like a Pill
Encyclopedia
"Just Like a Pill" is a pop rock
song by American singer Pink
. It was written and produced by Dallas Austin
and Pink for her second studio album
Missundaztood. 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, becoming her first number-one on the UK Singles Chart
and reaching the top 10 in, amongst other countries, Ireland
, France
, the Netherlands
and Sweden
.
, who also produced and arranged the song. Pink said in an interview that "Just Like a Pill" shows "part of who I am", referring to her documented problems with drugs.
called it "the third best track off her killer last album". Drowned In Sound
'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
'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
" and "Get the Party Started
", writing "The guitars... sound much more integrated into the work and the overall song works far better."
The song was shortlisted by Digital Spy
as a nominee for the best single of 2002, finishing third in the vote to Red Hot Chili Peppers
' "By the Way
" and Liberty X
's "Just a Little
".
for LaFace Records
. The video for the song 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 and wearing black hair. 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.
In the video, Pink is seen sitting in front of an elephant. After the elephant had been on the set, she saw the abuse and captivity the animal was in. "Pink learned about the abuse of captive elephants when a trainer brought one onto the set of her 'Just like a Pill' video. She could see that something was wrong and she called us to learn more about the issue. Now, Pink would like to see circuses pack their trunks", according to PETA spokesman Dan Mathews.
In an interview with VH1
, Pink said "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, and I'm like, 'Can we not do this anymore? I think we got the take, you know, it's enough. The elephant has had enough.' And the trainer's like, 'Oh, he loves it.' And so I was like, 'So when were you an elephant?'... I didn't like it. I won't do that again. ... No more animals." When talking about 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."
The censored version of the song/video changes "Can't stay on your morphine, it's making me itch" to "Can't stay on your life support, it's making me itch", and changes "bitch" to "witch". Pink's mouth is only blurred once in the censored version as she says "bitch" at about 2 minutes 45 seconds in the video.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
song by American singer Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
. It was written and produced by Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
and Pink for her second studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Missundaztood. 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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the United States. It also performed well internationally, becoming her first number-one on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and reaching the top 10 in, amongst other countries, Ireland
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, France
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
, the Netherlands
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
and Sweden
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
.
Background and writing
"Just Like a Pill" was written by P!nk and Dallas AustinDallas Austin
Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
, who also produced and arranged the song. Pink said in an interview that "Just Like a Pill" shows "part of who I am", referring to her documented problems with drugs.
Critical response
The song was generally well received by contemporary music critics. NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called it "the third best track off her killer last album". Drowned In Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
'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
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
'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
"Don't Let Me Get Me" is a pop rock song performed by singer Pink recorded for her second album Missundaztood . It was released as the album's second single in 2002 and it reached number six in the UK, number eight in the U.S. and number twenty in Canada.A music video was shot in early 2002, and...
" and "Get the Party Started
Get the Party Started
"Get the Party Started" is a song performed by Pink, and was the first single from her second album, Missundaztood . It became an international hit and reached the top ten in many countries. The song was Pink's highest selling at that time...
", 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
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
as a nominee for the best single of 2002, finishing third in the vote to Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
' "By the Way
By the Way
By the Way is the eighth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on July 9, 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. It sold over 286,000 copies in the first week, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The singles from the album included "By the Way", "The...
" and Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
's "Just a Little
Just a Little
"Just a Little" is a single by Liberty X, released in 2002. The song debuted at number one in the UK when released, selling over 100,000 copies in its first week. It only stayed at number one for a week, being replaced by Eminem's "Without Me". Despite this the record remained in the chart all...
".
Chart performance
In Australia, the song was a radio only single, in hopes of rising album sales. Although it was a #1 radio hit, a physical release never eventuated. In late June 2009, the song charted at #97 on downloads, most likely due to Pink's national tour.Music video
The video for "Just like a Pill" was directed by Francis LawrenceFrancis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
for LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment.-Company history:LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Arista Records. The combined nicknames of the duo's successful...
. The video for the song 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 and wearing black hair. 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.
In the video, Pink is seen sitting in front of an elephant. After the elephant had been on the set, she saw the abuse and captivity the animal was in. "Pink learned about the abuse of captive elephants when a trainer brought one onto the set of her 'Just like a Pill' video. She could see that something was wrong and she called us to learn more about the issue. Now, Pink would like to see circuses pack their trunks", according to PETA spokesman Dan Mathews.
In an interview with VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Pink said "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, and I'm like, 'Can we not do this anymore? I think we got the take, you know, it's enough. The elephant has had enough.' And the trainer's like, 'Oh, he loves it.' And so I was like, 'So when were you an elephant?'... I didn't like it. I won't do that again. ... No more animals." When talking about 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."
The censored version of the song/video changes "Can't stay on your morphine, it's making me itch" to "Can't stay on your life support, it's making me itch", and changes "bitch" to "witch". Pink's mouth is only blurred once in the censored version as she says "bitch" at about 2 minutes 45 seconds in the video.
Cover versions
- Eurodance trio CascadaCascadaCascada is a German Eurodance act most famous for their hit singles "Everytime We Touch", "What Hurts the Most", and "Evacuate the Dancefloor"...
recorded a cover version on the European and Japanese editions of their 2007 album Perfect DayPerfect Day (Cascada album)Perfect Day is the second studio album released by German eurodance group Cascada. The entire album was produced by the two disc jockeys from Cascada, Yanou and DJ Manian. Like it's predecessor, the album is comprised heavily of up-tempo eurodance tracks, many of which are cover songs...
. - Maaike Vos performed this song on the third season of the Dutch version of the X Factor during the 7th week of competition as a contestant
- The American rock band Perfect WorldPerfect World (band)Perfect World is a hard rock band featuring vocalist Kelly Hansen , bassist Fabrizio V.Zee Grossi, guitarist Alex De Rosso, guitarist JM Scattolin, drummer Biggs Brice and pianist Adam Forgione....
covered Just Like a Pill on their 2003 debut album, Perfect WorldPerfect World (album)Perfect World is the debut studio album by American melodic rock band Perfect World. It was released in 2003 on the Italian record label, Frontiers Records.- Track listing :#"Here with Me" — 4:18#"Leaving Lonely" — 5:48#"Just Like a Pill" — 4:03...
. - X Factor Australia contestant Sally Chatfield performed this song on the final 4 Number 1 Hits Night and received a standing ovation from judges Natalie ImbrugliaNatalie ImbrugliaNatalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
, Guy SebastianGuy SebastianGuy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
and Ronan KeatingRonan KeatingRonan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
. - In the ColombianColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
realityRealityIn philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
"Yo me llamo" contestant Jennifer Ramirez performed a cover of this song.
Formats and track listings
- UK/EU CD 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
- "Just like a Pill" (Video)
- EU 12" Single
- "Just like a Pill" (Radio Version) - 3:57
- "Just like a Pill" (Jacknife Lee Remix) - 3:46
- "Just like a Pill" (Numb LP Version) - 3:08
- "Just like a Pill" (Jacknife Lee Instrumental) - 3:46
- 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 Version) - 3:57
- "M!ssundaztood" (Album Version)- 3:36
- Remixes for the song were also made by Al B. RichAl B. RichAl B. Rich is the remix and production team of American Music Producers Albert Castillo and Rich "DJ Riddler" Pangilinan. Castillo, a musician who holds a Latin Grammy, also was a member of the production team Cibola in the late 1990s...
. A Radio Edit (3:18) and Club Mix (6:16) were made for the song.
Charts
"Just Like a Pill" was Pink's first UK number one.| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Top 75 | 2 |
| Belgium UltraTop 50 | 5 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
4 |
| Denmark Singles Top 20 | 10 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
6 |
| Finland Top 20 Singles | 19 |
| French Top 100 Singles | 29 |
| Germany Top 100 Singles | 2 |
| Greek Top 50 Singles | 12 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
6 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2 |
| Norwegian Top 20 Singles | 7 |
| Swedish Top 60 Singles | 5 |
| Swiss Singles Top 100 | 6 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
19 |
| U.S. Billboard Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Airplay | 30 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 Rhythmic Airplay Chart The Rhythmic Airplay Chart is an airplay chart that is featured weekly in Billboard Magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on Rhythmic stations, whose playlist includes mostly hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop, Rhythmic pop, and some Dance tracks... |
34 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
97 |
See also
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)