Pink Talks Surgery Recovery, Upcoming 'Trustfall' Tour and Teaching Her Kids to Give to Others (Exclusive)
Pink has a lot on her plate -- from recovering from multiple surgeries and taking care of her family to releasing her ninth studio album, Trustfall, and preparing for the upcoming tour. Still, the singer doesn't let that stop her from giving her time to help out those in need.
ET sat down with Pink at the 19th annual Desert Smash Charity Celebrity Tennis Event to chat about the event, raising money for the non-profit organization called the Playing for Change Foundation, and so much more.
The singer, who admitted that she began playing tennis two years ago, tells ET's Denny Directo that she was happy for the chance to play for a good cause. "I love doing something that [I] enjoy and making it about creating change in the world," she says. "That's why I write songs and sing and perform and have the group that I tour with. Playing for Change is amazing, it's about music. It's bringing music to kids that don't have it, instruments [and] music theory -- which for me, I'd be like, 'I can't, let's go back to singing.' But it's just this incredible thing."
"And I get to play. Robin Thicke? I'm going to kick his a** today," she added, laughing.
Pink's passion for making a change is something she's impressed upon her daughter, Willow, 11, and son, Jameson, 6. The singer recently revealed that each time her kids get a new toy, they donate eight others. "They're so thoughtful about it," she says. "You know, if you make the pile yourself of the toys that you're gonna give away, all of a sudden, it'll be the toy that they want to play with, [even though] they haven't thought about it in five years. So yeah, we do one toy in, eight go out."
Willow, she shares, has been extra philanthropic, raising money for sloths and donating the money she's raised with her mother on tour to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia during COVID. "She ran into her room and, [I] think she had, like, $300 from the tour. She was like, 'I want to give this to the local hospital,'" Pink recalls. "And then Jameson goes, 'Well, I want to give Willow all my money!'"
It's the thought that counts! And when Pink isn't ruling the tennis courts, she's taking over the charts. The singer released her ninth studio album last month and is already planning the accompanying tour. "I don't know what it feels like, it's such a weird thing," the star says when asked about the recent drop. "I didn't have a long game in mind for any of this. So to be 43 [years old], sitting here looking like I'm 12 and feeling like it and getting to do what I do and tour and climb on things. It's pretty wild."
It's especially wild considering the singer recently opened up about the impact the global shutdown had on her mind and her health. In a profile for Variety last month, Pink revealed she underwent double disc replacement in her neck after getting hip surgery in November 2021.
"I'm the bionic woman now," the singer tells ET. "I am stronger than I've ever been in my life. And also, I hurt all the time... But I can do more pushups than anybody!"
Likening her recovery to giving birth, Pink says that "it's wild to watch your body perform a miracle and then gain your resilience back. It makes your your body weak for a time, but it makes the rest of you stronger."
"And just like an injury, it's how you put yourself back together afterwards," she adds. "That is the most important lesson of all of it. I think when you're 20, you just bounce [back] really well. Well, you don't bounce as well at 43. But you get smarter and you know your body. I know my body and I know how it's gonna feel after any given thing."
All in all, Pink is more than ready to go back on the road for her next tour. "My kids are ready, everyone's excited...We're all ready," she says. "Everyone's so bored at home! We're ready to get the hell on the road. It's gonna be great."
"I feel like the pandemic was that huge thing for us. And I think having the rug pulled out from under you that way, [like] losing a parent... my dad passed away in August of 2022. It just distills things down and it really reminds you of what actually matters," she shares. "Even though that's a cliche, it's really true. When you wake up and all you care about is, 'I just want to see my kids be OK. I just want to be around long enough to see my kids be OK.' And anything I do from here on out has to matter. It has to be important. And that's what this album is to me. It has to matter."
The singer shares that a fan came to her before the game to tell her how Trustfall's single, "Turbulence," saved her friend's life.
"And that song came out two weeks ago. That's why you do it," she says. "It's like, 'Whoa, OK.' It's all fun and games, and I look like Mighty Mouse. But that's an important thing. And I love that, I live for that. It's about connection. I love the connection. People are like, 'Man, that song healed me.' And I'm like, 'Yeah, but being at a concert with you and watching you get healed, healed me.' So it's just a reciprocal love affair."
Trustfall is out now.
RELATED CONTENT:
Taylor Swift and Pink to Be Honored at iHeartRadio Music Awards
Pink Says Daughter Willow, 11, Will Make Minimum Wage on Her Tour
Pink Reveals She Underwent Major Hip Surgery, Double Disk Replacement
