Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced that it would be disbanding Jive Records, along with Arista and J Records. With the shutdown, Pink and all other artists previously signed to the labels, would release any future material through RCA Records. In 2011, Joe Riccitelli, an executive with the label, announced that Pink was preparing to enter the studio to begin work on her sixth studio album, to be released in September 2012. On February 29, 2012, Pink took to her Twitter account and confirmed that she was in the writing process for her new record.[4] On June 19, 2012, Pink announced via a video on Twitter that the first single from her upcoming album will be called "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" and that it would be released on July 9, 2012.[5][6] She added, "I think you're going to like it, because I really like it, and I like it enough for all of us."[7] However, the demo version of the song leaked on July 1, 2012, a week before its scheduled release.[7][8] The next day, it was released via Pink's official page and her YouTube account.[7] On July 4, 2012, Pink announced that her sixth studio album will be titled The Truth About Love.[9][10]

Speaking to Billboard magazine in August 2012, Greg Kurstin revealed that he and the singer had trouble coming up with a name for the track. The producer had been working with Pink on a nine-day songwriting session that yielded six songs. One particular track, an empowering breakup anthem in the vein of "So What" seemed like it might be written and recorded within a day-it just needed a title. "She kept coming back to 'Let's throw in the towel,' and it was one of those things where we had to say, 'Is that line really the song?'" Kurstin recalled. "So then I came back with 'Blow me … one last kiss' and we got really excited. Most of the time with Pink she's so strong writing lyrics I don't really interfere. I let her do her thing. That could've been the only time I did that."[11]

"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" is an uptempo[12] electropop song[13] and a duration of four minutes and 16 seconds, produced by Greg Kurstin.[7] The song was named as "classic Pink", with a "swear-jar-worthy chorus" and "an abrupt key change that only a singer like her could pull off." However, the song never changes keys. It stays in the key of G for the entire time.[14] "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" is written in the key of G major with a moderate tempo of 114 beats per minute. Pink's vocal range on this track covers nearly three octaves, from D₃ to G₅. The song follows a chord progression of G–Bm–Em–C.[15]

"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" received critical acclaim from music critics, with some of them noting its resemblance with "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" which was also produced by Greg Kurstin.[16] Andrew Hampp from Billboard gave a positive review of the song, giving it a score of 85 out of 100, and stating that the song is "an empowering breakup anthem in the vein of 'So What'," considering it to be "a welcome return to form for Pink at a time when everyone from Adam Lambert to Clarkson is co-opting her sound."[14] Danielle Levy of the same publication wrote, "Feisty, energetic and vengeful as ever, 'Blow Me (One Last Kiss)' is another powerful kiss-off from the veteran pop star."[7] Jocelyn Vena of MTV News wrote that the song "displays a lot of the signature girl-power sass that Kelly frequently has on her own tracks, but with a lot of the lyrical edge that has made Pink a chart-topping superstar."[12]

Kathy McCabe from Herald Sun gave a positive view of the song, stating that "If Pink needed any further evidence she was a bonafide international pop superstar, she got it when her much-anticipated new single leaked worldwide a week before release."[8] Tanner Stransky from Entertainment Weekly considered the song as "something that Clarkson could have featured on her own album" and with a "rocked-out, in-your-face edge" that is "signature Pink."[17] Contessa Gayles of AOL Music reviewed the song positively, writing that Pink sings with "signature sass on the track's infectious, poppy hook".[18] Robbie Daw of the website Idolator noted that Pink "is always at her best when she combines her powerful vocals with edgy, biting lyrics".[19] He finished his review by noting that the song was a "departure from the Max Martin-produced pop Pink".[19]

"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" first appeared on the Australian Singles Chart on the week ending 16 July 2012, debuting at number 1.[20] The song peaked at number 8 on the New Zealand Top 40 chart.[20] It also debuted at number 13 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.[20] In Ireland, the song debuted at number 23 on the Irish Singles Chart.[20] In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 3 with sales over 70,000 on the week ending 9 September 2012 behind Ne-Yo's "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)" and The Script's "Hall of Fame". Despite not reaching No.1 in the Singles Chart it did reach No.1 In the UK iTunes Chart, it debuted at number one in Scotland.

In the United States, the song debuted at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 5. As of August 2013, Pink is placed joint-third with Lady Gaga (12) behind Rihanna (24) and Beyoncé and Taylor Swift (14 each) for most top ten hits for a female artist since 2000. The song also topped the German Airplay Chart, becoming Pink's tenth consecutive single to do so and increasing her (previously broken) record for the most consecutive number 1 singles in Germany.[21] The song also appeared on the South African Airplay Chart, reaching a peak position of number 2.[22] On Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, it gave Pink her fourth number-one single on this chart.[23] It has sold 2,164,000 copies in the US as of July 2013.[24]

The music video for "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" premiered on July 26, 2012 at 7:50pm EDT on MTV and VEVO[25][26] and was directed by Pink's longtime collaborator Dave Meyers, who directed the videos for almost all of her lead singles and many of her hits.[26] The video is entirely in black and white, with splashes of color, features opening titles in French. The official colored version of the video was leaked online on August 31, and was officially posted on VEVO on September 5, 2012. The video begins with Pink having a picnic with her love interest (Sebastian de la Forza). The two lean in for a kiss, which is interrupted by him taking a phone call. Pink splashes him with red wine, and walks away through the trees. She meets another man on his motorbike (Alexander Ercheverria) and goes home with him. He draws a portrait of her. Pink watches through the window as many female guests arrive for a party the man has organised. During the party, she dances with one of the women until she is interrupted by the man who brought her home. Pink wears a black suit with her hair pushed back and dances with the woman (Mosh). The man gets down on one knee and proposes.

Pink accepts by giving him her hand but is disappointed to find out the proposal was meant for her dance partner. During their wedding ceremony, Pink is dressed completely in black, as if she is attending a funeral. A flying bike appears above the guests (Andreas-Holm Hansen), which is carrying a heart-shaped balloon. The balloon pops, and red liquid covers the guests as Pink sings and dances cheerfully. She joins the driver of the flying bike, and they fly away together at the end of this video clip across the countryside, into the sunset, under a bridge, over trees and up close to a big hill on the high flying bicycle with eagle wings. A colored version was also released. MTV's James Montgomery assured Pink's fans that she hasn't changed, while crediting the video for its angry and funny nature, saying "While your heroine might be saying she's a changed woman, the 'Blow Me' video proves that she's not. It's just as angry as her previous clips, and nearly as funny too."[26]

On September 6, Pink attended the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles where she performed the song for the first time. During the performance, Pink styled her hair with a mohawk and dyed it platinum blonde. She wore black overalls and a white shirt and kicked off her energetic performance with her signature hit "Get the Party Started" and a slight tribute to her Funhouse Tour where she performs an acrobatic move to ascend while singing the line "I'm coming up so you better get the party started." Pink followed this with a performance of "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)." Pink performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 10, and on the British comedy show Alan Carr: Chatty Man on September 14. On September 18, 2012, Pink performed the song completely uncensored in New York City on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart airing the next day on September 19. She and her band performed "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" and "Who Knew." "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" also serves as the closing song on Pink's The Truth About Love Tour, although she comes back onstage after for an encore consisting of "So What" and "Glitter in the Air".

Marley Rose (Melissa Benoist) and Wade "Unique" Adams (Alex Newell) performed the song in the 2012 Glee episode "The Role You Were Born to Play".[27]

• Digital download[28]

1. "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" — 4:16

• CD/Digital single[29][30]

1. "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" — 4:16
2. "The King Is Dead but the Queen Is Alive" (Pink, Billy Mann, Butch Walker, Niklas "Nikey" Olovson, Robin Lynch) — 3:44

• Remixes

1. "Blow Me (One Last Kiss) (Firebeatz Club Mix)" — 5:56

Recording[31]

• Engineered at Earthstar Creation Center, Venice, California, and at Echo Studios, Los Angeles, California
• Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Personnel[31]

• Pink – background vocals, lead vocals, songwriter
• Greg Kurstin – songwriter, producer, keyboards, guitar, bass, programming, engineer
• Jesse Shatkin – additional engineering
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• John Hanes – mix engineer
• Phil Seaford – assistant mix engineer

|award=2x Platinum

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[89]	4× Platinum	280,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[90]	3× Platinum	240,000*
Italy (FIMI)[91]	Platinum	30,000*
Mexico (AMPROFON)[92]	Gold	30,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[93]	Platinum	15,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[94]	Gold	15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[95]	Gold	400,000
United States (RIAA)[96]	{{{award}}}	2,164,000[24]
Venezuela (APFV)[97]	Platinum	10,000^
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[98]	Gold	50,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

|}

• List of number-one dance singles of 2012 (U.S.)

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics