Yahoo Finance Pink Recalls Writing 'Who Knew' About Friends' Overdose Deaths and Sings the Hit with Kelly Clarkson
Pink is looking back writing the 2006 hit "Who Knew," which was inspired by the tragic deaths of multiple close friends.
During Monday's episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 43-year-old singer-songwriter recalled crafting the lyrics of "Who Knew" after losing two friends to drug overdoses and spoke about how the song has taken on new meaning since its release on her I'm Not Dead album.
"I lost several friends, unfortunately, to overdose, and the second one was very, very, very close to me, and I loved him very much," Pink told host Kelly Clarkson of the song, written about a friend named Sekou, who died of a heroin overdose when they were teenagers.
"But the thing that I love about the song now, after all these years, is that I never get tired of performing it, and it's taken on so many different meanings over the years. It was about my grandmother at one point. It was about my dog," continued the Grammy winner. "I've lost people, so it's always sort of fresh in my heart."
Clarkson, 40, remarked that it "sucks" to have to experience so much loss.
"But we need music for that, though," replied Pink. "I need music to help me through my feelings, and I can numb down really easy."
The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube Pink and Kelly Clarkson
The American Idol alum agreed with her, and the pair was then accompanied by acoustic guitarist Justin Derrico for a casual duet version of "Who Knew," which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its initial release.
"If someone said three years from now / You'd be long gone / I'd stand up and punch them all out / 'Cause they're all wrong," the powerhouse vocalists sang in harmony. "I know better / 'Cause you said forever / And ever / Who knew?"
Fans took to the comments section underneath the YouTube clip of the duet to express their love of Pink and Clarkson — and call for a collaboration between the two.
"Even though Kelly can sing with almost anyone, there's a particular tonal quality in their harmonies that's astounding," wrote one viewer. "I do hope collabs like this are a gateway to a full collaboration on an album, or at least a couple of singles."
RELATED: Kelly Clarkson and Pink Team Up for an Emotional Acoustic Duet of 'What About Us' — Watch!
In a clip from the episode released last week, the pair duetted a rendition of Pink's 2017 hit "What About Us" and spoke about how its powerful lyrics came to be.
"We're not listening to each other right now, and it's so loud and so gross and angry," said the acrobatic pop superstar. "And people are being forgotten, people are being counted out and their rights are being trampled on just because a group of people doesn't believe in them."
Pink continued, "I don't understand how so many people in this world are discounted because one group of people decided they don't like that, and I won't have it. One of the most beautiful things that my dad taught me was that my voice matters and I can make a difference, and I will."
