C'mon, Pink, give yourself more credit!
Eight studio albums, three Grammys, 17 more nominations and a Billboard Icon Award honor apparently haven't changed the fact that Pink considers her career a "fluke." During a sit-down on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Thursday, May 13, the one-of-a-kind performer reflected on being chosen as this year's Billboard Icon Award recipient, making her the youngest to join the elite club, which includes the likes of Prince and Cher. Noting her penchant for snark to avoid being overwhelmed, she shared, "When they told me that, I was like, 'Oh OK, I'm getting the old lady award. They're ready for me to just go now.'"
"But then, I was like, you know what, it's kind of cool," the 41-year-old star continued. "I mean, it's more than kind of cool...It's amazing and it's an honor." She then quipped, "It's the longest fluke in history." When Ellen DeGeneres asked, "Your career?" Pink confirmed with a laugh that that was indeed what she was referencing.
Despite more than two very successful decades in an industry that can swiftly spit artists right out, it doesn't seem like Pink will ever take her superstar status for granted—or even really see herself in that vein.
"People know me, and I have songs that people would recognize," she told Billboard in 2019, "[but] they'd recognize the song—they wouldn't know who sang it."
She also credits her longevity to constant hustling instead of resting on the laurels of a 20-year career. "I don't think I would still have a career if I wasn't good at touring because I've never won at any other angle," she explained at the time. "I've never been the 'it' girl. I've never been selling perfumes or clothes or dolls...I have really made a career out of keeping my head down and beating the pavement."
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