About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Pink and producer Max Martin have become a hitmaking machine when they work together. He helped put together the smash hits "U + Ur Hand," "Who Knew," and, most recently, the #1 hit "So What." This latest collaboration looks set to follow in the same path.

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Pros

• Pink's raspy, heartfelt voice
• That light, atmospheric backing vocal
• Max Martin's sure hand with a melody

Cons

• Possibly a bit too simple

Description

• Written by Max Martin and Pink
• Produced by Max Martin
• Released March 2009 by LaFace Records

Guide Review - Pink - "Please Don't Leave Me"

Lyrically, "Please Don't Leave Me" is a fascinating Pink song. She sings about simultaneously being a horrifically difficult lover while begging to not be left in the lurch. The desperate tone of the words is brilliantly undercut by the sing-song backing vocal loop that almost taunts the song's protagonist. It is a tension that is almost sub-conscious but present even if you aren't listening closely.

The eery, subversive horror movie style video that accompanies "Please Don't Leave Me" plays on the concept in the lyrics. There are clear similarities to Stephen King's Misery in the images of a boyfriend being tortured with various injuries. Directed by Dave Meyers, the video for "Please Don't Leave Me" is horrific to some and brilliant dark comedy to others.

A very strong element at work here is that Pink and Max Martin have an uncanny ability to generate a sound that fits perfectly into current pop radio playlists.

It may not be a chart-topper, but look for "Please Don't Leave Me" to at least land in the pop top 10 becoming the third top 10 smash for Pink from her album Funhouse. That would give her a streak of five consecutive top 10 hits in the US, the longest such streak in Pink's career.