God Is a DJ (Pink song) explained

God Is a DJ
Cover:	GodIsaDjcover.jpg
Border:	yes
Caption:	Worldwide cover; UK CD2 uses a closeup of the same picture as cover
Type:	single
Artist:	Pink
Album:	Try This
B-Side:	Trouble
Genre:	Dance-rock
Length:	3:43
Prev Title:	Trouble
Prev Year:	2003
Next Title:	Last to Know
Next Year:	2004

"God Is a DJ" is a song by American singer Pink from her third album, Try This (2003). It was released as the album's second single on November 17, 2003. It is about letting go, loving life and living it to the fullest. It peaked at number six in the Dutch Top 40 and number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2004 film Mean Girls.^[1]

Background

"God Is a DJ" was written by Pink along with Jonnie "Most" Davis and Billy Mann. The song marked Pink's first collaboration with Mann who would become a frequent collaborator on subsequent projects.^[2] In 2017, Mann elaborated on their work on Try This: "I had the hook of "God Is a DJ" in my head, which felt perfect for [Pink]. We met at noon in LA and within 15 minutes, we were drinking whiskey, smoking and it was all Philly. We finished "God Is a DJ’" together and it began. That was 15 years ago.”^[2]

Critical response

AllMusic praised the song and noted it as one of the best songs on the Try This album.^[3] Entertainment Weekly was negative however, calling it cheesy.^[4] Rolling Stone also panned the song, criticizing it for reusing earlier messages, especially from the lead single "Trouble".^[5] Slant Magazine was positive however, comparing the single to music from Madonna and wondering why it was not chosen as the lead.^[6] Stylus Magazine panned the single, calling it an unsuccessful attempt to recapture Pink's earlier music.^[7] The Village Voice critically praised "God Is a DJ", also questioning why it was not chosen as the lead single.^[8] Yahoo! Music also gave the song a favorable review, calling it a "piece of punky disco perfection."^[9]

Music video

A music video for "God Is a DJ" was directed by Jake Scott. It features scenes of Pink and others (assumed to be her roommates) getting dressed, having fun on a subway, and going to a nightclub. Pink then continues to bribe the bouncer — dressed in eccentric drag clothing — to enter the nightclub ahead of the queue. The video debuted on MTV's Total Request Live at number ten on January 22, 2004, and peaked at number six.^{[10] [11]}

Track listings

UK CD1

1. "God Is a DJ" – 3:43
2. "Trouble" (Hyper remix edit) – 3:50

UK CD2

1. "God Is a DJ" – 3:43
2. "Trouble" (acoustic version) – 3:01
3. "God Is a DJ" (D-Bop vocal remix) – 6:36
4. "God Is a DJ" (music video) – 3:59

European CD1

1. "God Is a DJ" – 3:43
2. "Trouble" (acoustic version) – 3:01

European CD2

1. "God Is a DJ" – 3:43
2. "Trouble" (acoustic version) – 3:01
3. "God Is a DJ" (D-Bop vocal remix) – 6:36
4. "God Is a DJ" (Spider remix)
5. "God Is a DJ" (music video) – 3:59

Australian CD

1. "God Is a DJ" – 3:43
2. "Trouble" (acoustic version) – 3:01
3. "God Is a DJ" (D-Bop vocal remix) – 6:36
4. "God Is a DJ" (Spider remix)

iTunes EP

1. "God Is a DJ" (Spider dub)
2. "God Is a DJ" (D-Bop remix)
3. "God Is a DJ" (Spider remix)
4. "God Is a DJ" (Electroheadz remix)

Credits and personnel

Credits lifted from the liner notes of Try This.^[12]

• John Silas Cranfield – arranger, engineer, producer, writer
• Jonnie "Most" Davis – arranger, engineer, producer, writer
• John Fields – additional drums, piano
• Jay Goin – assistant engineer
• Billy Mann – arranger, backing vocalist, producer, writer
• Pink – vocals, writer
• Chris Testa – assistant engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "God Is a DJ"!Chart (2003–04)!Peak
position

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "God Is a DJ"!Chart (2004)!Position

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[13]	85

Release history

Region! scope="col"

Date	Format(s)	Label
United States	November 17, 2003	Contemporary hit radio	Arista
Various	December 25, 2003
United Kingdom	January 26, 2004		RCA
Denmark	February 16, 2004	Maxi-CD
Germany			BMG
Sweden	February 18, 2004	Maxi-CD	Arista

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mean Girls (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) . music.apple.com.
2. Web site: Amorosi. A.D.. The Philadelphia Experiment: How Pink and Collaborator Billy Mann Forged a 15-Year Friendship . Variety.com. October 20, 2017 . May 16, 2024.
3. Web site: Try This. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. AllMusic.
4. Web site: Try This – EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. August 19, 2013. August 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190819163031/https://ew.com/article/2003/11/14/try-this/. live.
5. Pink Try This Album Review. Rolling Stone.
6. Web site: Pink Try This – Album Review – Slant Magazine. Sal Cinquemani. 30 October 2003. Slant Magazine.
7. Web site: P!nk – Try This – Review – Stylus Magazine. stylusmagazine.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052745/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/pnk/try-this.htm. March 4, 2016.
8. Web site: She Stays and She Goes. Nick Catucci. Village Voice.
9. Web site: Pink Reviews on Yahoo! Music . https://web.archive.org/web/20060924065326/http://ca.music.yahoo.com/read/review/12065720 . September 24, 2006 . yahoo.com.
10. http://host17.hrwebservices.net/~atrl/trlarchive/db.html "The TRL Archive – Debuts"
11. http://www.popfusion.net/records/recaparchive/2004_01.html "The TRL Archive – Recap – January 2004"
12. Try This. Pink. 2003. . booklet.
13. Web site: Archived copy . June 18, 2013 . October 4, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121004213127/http://www.top40.nl/pdf/top100/top100-2004.pdf . dead .