Who Knew

Infobox Single
Name = Who Knew


Artist = P!nk
from Album = I'm Not Dead
B-side = "Disconnected"
Released = May 8 2006 (U.S. radio)
May 29, 2006 (UK)
June 26 2007 (U.S. radio re-release)
Format = Digital download, CD single, 12" maxi single
Recorded = Decibel Studios, Stockholm, SWE; Conway Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
Genre = Pop rock, power ballad
Length = 3:28
Label = LaFace
Writer = Pink, Max Martin, Dr. Luke
Producer = Max Martin, Dr. Luke
Certification = Platinum (ARIA, RIAA)
Misc = Extra chronology
Artist = P!nk
Type = singles
Last single = "Stupid Girls"
(2006)
This single = "Who Knew"
(2006)
Next single = "U + Ur Hand"
(2006)Extra chronology
Artist = P!nk
Type = U.S. singles
Last single = "U + Ur Hand"
(2006)
This single = "Who Knew"
(2007)
Next single = "So What"
(2008)

"Who Knew" is a pop rock song written by Pink, Max Martin and Dr. Luke for Pink's fourth album, "I'm Not Dead" (2006). It was released as the album's second single worldwide in 2006 (see 2006 in music), and was re-released to U.S. radio as the album's fourth single in the United States in 2007 (see 2007 in music), after the success of "U + Ur Hand".

Background

Pink has stated that "Who Knew" is about "the death of friendship. You're best friends forever, and then three years later you haven't seen each other in two years — what happened? You grow apart and people come in and out of your life for different reasons, seasons." [Vineyard, Jennifer. [http://www.mtv.com/bands/p/pink/news_feature_060220/ "Pink: Not Dead, Not Stupid"] . MTV News. February 17 2006. Retrieved September 22 2006.] She said in an interview with "The Observer" that the song was written about friends who died as a result of drug overdoses. [Ellen, Barbara. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1789742,00.html "Philly girl"] . "The Observer". June 4 2006. Retrieved March 23 2007.] According to her, the song is about more than one person: "There's a couple different people mixed in ... It's just the grieving process. You can look at somebody, he might be right there, and the next Monday he might not be." [Vineyard, Jennifer. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1519661/01032006/pink.jhtml "Pink Pens An Open Letter To President Bush On New Album"] MTV News. January 3 2006. Retrieved March 30 2007.] In an interview with the television station TV3 she said that "... [she] always wanted to write a song about death because [she] came in contact with death at a very young age".citequote

"Billboard" magazine, in its second review of the song (to accompany the U.S. re-release), called it "another cool, smart, plenty passionate melodic jewel about the death of a friend and/or friendship, with an instantly identifiable, quick-to-the-point, singalong track—maintaining Pink's stance as the smartest female millennium-era singer/songwriter, dazzling in star quality as alterna-pop's premier princess."Taylor, Chuck. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/singles/e3if6219759863b5ce9920af752c127ebd3 "Single Reviews - Who Knew - Pink"] . "Billboard". Retrieved June 13 2007.]

The song features acoustic guitar, keyboards, drums, and electric guitars. Gottwald, Martin and Pink co-wrote another song on the album, "U + Ur Hand".

Chart performance

It was released as the album's second single in 2006 (see 2006 in music) and was very popular in Australia, where it reached number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and is certified platinum for sales of over 70,000 copies. It was ranked at number nine on ARIA's Top 100 singles of 2006. In the United Kingdom the single was also popular, reaching number five; it is Pink's longest running single on the UK Singles Chart, spending twenty-six weeks on the chart. The single made the top ten in a number of other countries in Europe, and it peaked at number eight on the United World Chart.

When the single was originally released in North America, "Who Knew" was less successful. Though it peaked at number nineteen on the BDS Airplay Chart in Canada, it was virtually ignored by American radio. In the U.S., where it was released to mainstream radio on May 8 2006, [http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2006 "Available for Airplay - 2006 - 5/8 Mainstream"] . FMBQ. Retrieved July 4 2007.] it failed to chart on the "Billboard" Hot 100, initially reaching number 18 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart (which comprises the most popular songs yet to enter the Hot 100). "Billboard" magazine credited the poor performance of the single on radio with significantly reducing momentum of initial sales of "I'm Not Dead". [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2424168520070324 "Pink's latest album gets another chance"] . Reuters/"Billboard". March 24 2007. Retrieved May 19 2007.]

In March 2007 the song was used in promotion for the ABC television show "October Road", after which download sales of the song increased; as a result, it debuted at number ninety-five on the Hot 100 at the end of the month. [Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003564845 "Akon Scores Second No. 1 Hit From 'Konvicted'"] . "Billboard". March 29 2007. Retrieved March 30 2007.] [Bronson, Fred. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/chart_beat/chat_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003565778 "Chart Beat Chat - Suddenly In The Pink"] . "Billboard". March 30 2007. Retrieved April 3 2007.] During the same period, "U + Ur Hand", the third single from "I'm Not Dead", had achieved major success on pop radio and was credited with "reviving" Pink's career in the U.S. Pink performed "Who Knew" on the May 9, 2007, episode of "American Idol". It was re-released to mainstream radio in the United States on June 26, 2007, [http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239#2007 "Available for Airplay - 2007 - 6/26 Mainstream"] . FMBQ. Retrieved July 4 2007.] although it had already been receiving minor airplay on CHR/top 40 and hot AC/adult top 40 stations earlier in the month. [Caulfield, Keith. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003599776 "Ask Billboard - Pink's Not Dead"] . "Billboard". June 15 2007. Retrieved July 4 2007.] In week twenty-five of 2007 "Who Knew" re-entered the "Billboard" Hot 100 at number ninety-four; it has since climbed to number nine, giving Pink her eighth top ten single on the chart and matching the peak position of "U + Ur Hand".

In September 2008, this song was used as the first song of the Philadelphia station Now 97.5

Video

The single's video was directed by Dragon, ["Enter the Dragon". MySpace Blog: pinkspage. April 12 2006. Retrieved December 18 2006.] a team comprising Sam Bayer, Robert Hales and Brian Lazzaro. It was filmed in the weekend beginning April 15 2006 in Los Angeles, United States, [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1528800/20060417/proof_of_d_12.jhtml "For The Record: Quick News On Proof, Game, Pink, White Stripes, Ashanti, Michael Jackson, Great White & More"] . MTV News. April 17 2006. Retrieved March 23 2007.] and it was released to the internet and to UK music channels in early May 2006. The video reached number one on MTV Germany's top ten and on "TRL" Italy. "Who Knew" was voted number one on "TRL" Germany twenty times, allowing Pink to earn the "Golden Tape". In the U.S. "Total Request Live" broadcast a "First Look" of the video on May 22, and it debuted on the show's top ten countdown the following day; [ [http://www.atrl.net/trlarchive/?s=recap&y=2006&m=05 "The TRL Archive - Recap - May 2006"] . ATRL.net. Retrieved July 5 2007.] it spent eight non-consecutive days on the countdown (until June 9), peaking at number seven. [ [http://www.atrl.net/trlarchive/?s=recap&y=2006&m=06 "The TRL Archive - Recap - June 2006"] . ATRL.net. Retrieved July 5 2007.]

It features a young couple visiting a fairground and going on the rides, and at one point the boy puts a necklace on the girl. The video flashes back to the boy secretly injecting himself with drugs on a previous night while the girl is sleeping. At the carnival, when the girl is playing a game, the boy walks away. The girl realizes he's gone and follows him, but when she tries to get him to stay with her he gets violent. He goes to the back of the fairground to inject himself with drugs and breaks into a sweat. His girl wanders around looking for him, and finds him unconscious; he has taken an overdose. She gives him a kiss, gives back the necklace and phones for an ambulance; after it has arrived, she walks away crying. The video is intercut with shots of Pink singing the song at the entrance to the fairground.

Track listings and formats

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Who Knew".

;2 Tracks CD Single
#"Who Knew"
#"Disconnected"

;Maxi CD Single
#"Who Knew"
#"Who Knew" (Sharp Boys' Love Jonathan Harvey Remix)
#"Who Knew" (The Bimbo Jones Radio Edit)
#Video Enhancement includes preview of forthcoming Live In Europe Concert DVD

;Ringle
#"Who Knew"
#"Disconnected"
#"Who Knew" (The Bimbo Jones Radio Edit)

(Other official remixes of the song include the Beat Cult club mix and the Sharp Boys' Coronation Street dub.)

Charts

References