Pink Powered by Anti-Palin Bounce?

Thu., Sep. 18, 2008 11:15 AM PDT by David Jenison

Fame Pictures

"So What" has just turned lemons into pink lemonade.

Pink started the year by splitting with motocross hubby Carey Hart, but she's rebounded like a rock star with "So What" becoming her first solo No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. Though she's been insistent that the track's not entirely biographical, the defiant song and video seem to make several allusions to the split, including the opening line "I guess I just lost my husband."

Sales of the single apparently weren't hampered by Pink's scathing assessment of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Like her 2006 Bush-bashing single "Dear Mr. President," the singer has a series of questions she'd like Gov. Palin to answer, such as whether she can find Iraq on a map.

"She's not of this time," Pink said in an interview last week. "The woman terrifies me."

A few weeks back, "So What" gave Pink a career-high bow at No. 9 and then jumped to No. 2 last week following her stunning MTV Video Music Awards performance. This week, the song overpowered T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" (now at No. 2), boosted by digital sales of 253,000.

Prior to "So What," Pink hit No. 1 with Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim and Mya on the 2001 Moulin Rouge! hit "Lady Marmalade." As a solo artist, she'd peaked at No. 4 with both "Get the Party Started" and "Most Girls."

The charts might not be tickled Pink for very long if Jay-Z has any say. Jigga led all newcomers this week at No. 5 with "Swagga Like Us," the lead single to his upcoming Blueprint 3.

To date, Jay-Z has only topped the Hot 100 as a featured performer, a feat he accomplished four times with songs by Mariah Carey, R. Kelly, Beyoncé and Rihanna. "Swagga" could become his first, considering the song's guest list—T.I., Lil Wayne and Kanye West—artists who claim three of the last five rap songs to top the Hot 100.

Taylor Swift landed the next best bow at No. 16 with "Love Story," which also scored the teen starlet a career-high No. 25 start on the Hot Country chart. "Love Story" is the lead single to Swift's forthcoming Fearless album.

Fall Out Boy followed at No. 21 with "I Don't Care," the lead single from their new album Folie à Deux.

Estelle's "American Boy" had plummeted on the charts after her label removed the song from iTunes and opened the door for a Studio All-Stars cover version to snag some of its sales. The Estelle original has now returned to the iTunes store and rocketed back up 44 spots to No. 9 with 91,000 digital downloads.