Pink - The Album Collection

The life of Alecia Moore—better known as P!nk—is worthy of a movie. Born in the Philadelphia suburbs to a Vietnam-veteran father and a nurse mother, she became a tough teen after her parents divorced, getting into drugs and delinquency. Happily, she cleaned up her act in time to launch her music career. After a brief stint in the female trio Choice, she topped the charts in 2000 with her r&b flavored solo debut, Can’t Take Me Home.

But P!nk wasn’t satisfied with her musical direction. It wasn’t until the following year that she found her groove with the rock-oriented, outcast-themed Missundaztood, which sold 13 million copies and made her a star. “[It] gave me a sense of freedom and purpose,” she explained, “and allowed me to exorcise a lot of my demons.” P!nk then delved deeper into rock with Try This and political songs on I’m Not Dead. She rounded out the decade with Funhouse, featuring the hit “So What” about her troubled relationship with motocross star Carey Hart (with whom she’s now happily married and has a daughter), and a circus-themed world tour featuring her show-stopping trapeze act.

P!nk’s colorful life is now reflected through The Album Collection, a five-CD box set of her entire discography. Featuring 73 songs, ranging from the fun-filled “Get the Party Started” and the rebellious “Cuz I Can” to the outspoken “Dear Mr. President” and the admirably honest “Sober,” it’s an impressive body of work from one of pop’s most fascinating personalities.