Funhouse (song)

"Funhouse"
Single by Pink
from the album Funhouse
Released	August 25, 2009 (see release history)
Format	Digital download, CD single
Recorded	2008
Genre	Pop rock funk rock
Length	3:24 (Album Version/Main Version)
Label	LaFace, Jive
Writer(s)	Pink, Tony Kanal, Jimmy Harry
Producer(s)	Tony Kanal, Jimmy Harry
Pink singles chronology
"Bad Influence" (2009) "Funhouse" (2009) "I Don't Believe You" (2009) Music video "Funhouse" on YouTube

"Funhouse" is the fifth single from American singer-songwriter Pink's fifth studio album of the same name. The track was written by P!nk, Jimmy Harry and Tony Kanal who also produced the song. It holds the title of the album and, just like most of the album's tracks, the song speaks about P!nk's split with motocrossrider Carey Hart. Pink performed the song on September 16, 2009 on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! concert stage.^[1]

Reception

Critical reception

"Funhouse" received acclaim from critics, being regarded as one of the musical and lyrical highlights of the album. There's More Where That Came From' gave the song an A- stating, "'Funhouse' has the energy of 'So What' but surpasses it half-way through, when the song breaks into true rocker mode. Something we haven’t seen from Pink since 'Trouble' back in 2003!"^[2] Billboard also gave the song a very positive review, saying "Pink again displays her versatility on this complex number, which calls for blues, funk and rock vocal stylings that few other pop stars could pull off. The singer delivers with full force, colliding with lively guitar licks and hints of synth" and giving it an 81% approval.^[3]

Chart performance

"Funhouse" became Pink's 16th Top 10 single in Australia, climbing to a chart peak of number six on 2 August 2009. The song also became Pink's 5th consecutive #1 single on the Australian Airplay Chart,^[4] with all 4 previous singles from Funhouse peaking at #1 too. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 18 on August 3, 2009, becoming Pink's fifth consecutive top twenty hit from the Funhouse album. It has since peaked at number 15. It also made its chart debut on the Turkey Top 20 Chart at number twenty-five. "Funhouse" first appeared on the UK Singles Chart on July 5, 2009 at number 155.^[5] It climbed 30 spots to 125 a week later. It currently peaks at twenty-nine. Also in the UK, the song has been added to the B List of the Radio 1 Playlist. It is expected to climb in the following weeks due to the physical release of the single.^[6] In the week of 4 August 2009, "Funhouse" debuted at the Dutch Top 40 at number 31, making this her 19th entry on the chart. "Funhouse" debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at #80 and has risen to a peak of #21. The song was released on August 25, 2009 in the U.S., and on the week ending October 3, the song debuted at number 23 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The following week, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #97 and peaked at #44.

Music video

The music video was directed by Dave Meyers and premiered on June 20, 2009 in the United Kingdom on 4music at 11:00am.^[7] Tony Kanal of No Doubt, also the co-writer and the producer of the song, appears in a cameo, playing a piano. The video takes place in a barren lot that is later shown to be what's left of a house that is still burning. There are 'evil clowns' throughout the area who are picking though the rubble and playing the instruments as the band. The video begins as it pans low to the ground showing an "Elvis" grave briefly. Pink emerges from an old empty pool and begins to sing the first verse. She proceeds to kick over a toilet and picks up a framed photo. She throws it behind her. She passes a toaster and now it shows that she is in a burning fun house. She dances past a few 'evil clowns'. It shows more of the burning remains of the building. She picks up a stick and throws it down. Then an 'evil clown' turns around and the camera has a close up of its face. She counts down from 9. (She quickly shows her middle finger on '5' but on most versions of the video that is blurred out.) She moves to a table and takes a sip of some red liquid but becomes disgusted and throws it down. She jumps onto a mattress attached to a chain which two 'evil clowns' are pulling. She gets off the mattress and climbs onto the burning fun house. It shows four 'evil clowns' (Two are miming with each other, one is playing the guitar and the last is just standing on its own.) She goes over to the guitar playing clown and dances with it. She proceeds to count down from 9 again. She climbs through a doggie door to find Tony Kanal playing the piano. Pink moves to a motorcycle and puts on sunglasses and a leather jacket. In the background a voice is counting down from 9. At one she rides away on the motorcycle as the house explodes. It then shows her riding her motorcycle on a road as the song ends.

The Funhouse Freakshow Edition

As a part of the Funhouse Freakshow, alternate videos for "Funhouse," along with "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)" were shot.

The video for "Funhouse" directed by Cole Walliser shows P!nk singing onstage along with a band consisting of clowns and the staff of a circus. She wears the same outfit that appears on the cover of "Glitter in the Air." The video is entirely shot in black and white, and it's the only one, among the Funhouse Freakshow videos where P!nk lip-syncs the words of the song. The video appears on the bonus DVD accompanying the deluxe edition of P!nk's compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!.

Track listing

1. "Funhouse" (Album Version) - 3:24
2. "Funhouse" (Digital Dog Remix) - 5:57

Charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References