"So What" is a song written by American pop rock singer Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. It was released as the first single from Pink's fifth studio album Funhouse.

"So What" was performed by Pink at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, on September 7, 2008, and was used to promote the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Latin America. Pink performed "So What" on MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 on November 6, 2008. In September 2008, the song became Pink's first solo number-one hit in her native USA. It has also reached #1 in twenty-five other countries. It is also the fourth song to reach number one in all four major music markets.

It will be one of the songs played in the upcoming music game Lego Rock Bandand the upcoming video games for Dance Dance Revolution. It is also featured as a downloadable song on Guitar Hero: World Tourand SingStar. It is also a song on the DS version of Band Hero.

The song was written by Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. Martin also produced the track. Pink and Martin are responsible for their hit songs from Pink's previous album, including the US top-10 hits Who Knewand U + Ur Hand. In interviews, the singer stated that the song was not autobiographical, only a few aspects of the song were. After reuniting with her husband Carey Hart in May 2009, Pink told Ellen deGeneres that she found it "funny" to perform the song when he was in the audience and especially enjoyed the bit where she sang the line "You're a tool".

The song was intended to be released to radio in the States later than its release date. As the song leaked on the internet, La Face Records decided to release the song on radio on August 18, 2008, as well as the digital version. The track was released on the American CHR on August 18, 2008. It was released digitally on American iTunes on August 19, 2008, and on September 2, it reached #1 on the store. The track has also peaked at #1 on iTunes Canada but they were instructed from SonyBMG that they were not to play it due to an international embargo on the track.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the song began receiving actual radio airplay from August 7 and was instantly on high rotation across both the Austereo and DMG Radio Australia networks. In New York, WHTZ "Z100" played the song on the morning show at 8:45am EST on the Elvis Duran and the Morning Zoo to great response. The song was released in the UK on September 29, 2008.

It has been questioned whether Pink has something against singer Jessica Simpson, as this is the second time Simpson has been negatively referenced in a Pink single, the first being "Stupid Girls". Pink then said on the matter - "Everyone thinks I'm trashing Jessica Simpson, but I'm actually not at all, I'm actually saying that she's cooler than me 'cause the waiter keeps taking my table and giving it to her." Pink was originally going to use "The pilot took my private jet and gave it to Haylie Duff" but it "wasn't as funny".

The song was performed as a group number on the season finale of the eighth season of by the Top 13.

Allison Iraheta, a finalist from the eighth season of American Idol, performed the song during the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009.

"So What" has been well-received, with the website Popjusticegiving it a positive review. Popjusticedescribed the song as 'very amazing'. Chris Williams of Billboardgave the track a positive review, enjoying the "insatiable melodic verses meant for massive car singalongs and a chorus combustion followed by a fist-in-the-air refrain." He also called it "an irresistible soundscape that will transform listeners into rock stars singing their very own breakup song." Ryan Dumble of Blendergave "So What" a 3 out of 5 stars, commenting, "The disses are a bit immature ("I'm just fine and you're a fool") but there's a voyeuristic allure to the track."

UK entertainment website Digital Spyalso praised the song, calling it "packed with attitude" and "terrifically catchy" They gave it 5/5 stars, and later placed it as their top single of 2008 Guidegave a positive review saying: "A singsongy intro gives way to a martial beat and chorus that's likely to send fists pounding into the air." About.comlauds the track noting that this song is a good comeback for the singer; "Pink is back and not to be ignored." This song was number 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.

Timecritic Josh Tyrangiel named this the #2 song of 2008.

VH1's Top 40 Videos of 2008ranked "So What" #3 on their list.

However, there have been a few negative reviews. The New York Timescalled the song "perfunctory". The Onion'sAV Club called the song "so blaring and bad as to make Funhouseseem like a lost cause from the start".

The song was featured in the opening of the second episode of Castle. It was played again later in the episode as the victim's cell phone ringtone, showing she was in an a location the police didn't previously realize before her murder.

"So What" was nominated for The 51st Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance among: "Chasing Pavements" by Adele, "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles, "Mercy" by Duffy, "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry, and "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. It was beaten by "Chasing Pavements".

"So What" won the award for MTV's most addictive track. It was also nominated for Best Female Video on MTV Video Music Awards 2009 alongside "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce,"My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson, "Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry, and "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga. It was beaten by "You Belong With Me", with a big controversy.

"So What" debuted at #9 on the BillboardHot 100 on August 26, 2008, making it Pink's highest debut to date on the chart. The song has since peaked at #1 on September 16, making it her first solo #1, and second overall after "Lady Marmalade", a collaboration with Christina Aguilera, Mýa, and Lil' Kim. It is Pink's ninth top-ten hit on the chart, and her third consecutive. In its first week the song debuted at #4 on the Hot Digital Songs chart with sales of 116,611 downloads, moving up to #2 on the chart the following week. It has sold over three million copies in the U.S. to date. For the week ending October 3, 2008, "So What" jumped to claim the top spot on the Hot 100 knocking off T.I's single "Whatever You Like" from the top spot for two weeks. It also peaked at #1 on the Digital Track Chart and the Digital Songs Chart. The track has also been well received at dance radio in the United States, where it reached number-one on the Hot Dance Airplay chart in its December 6, 2008 issue, giving Pink her second number-one Dance Airplay single since the week ending February 10, 2007, when she first reached that summit with "U + Ur Hand". "So What" topped Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart during the chart week of December 20, 2008, giving Pink her second #1 there.

"So What" peaked at #1 on the Canadian Hot 100 and stayed at the top of the chart for four consecutive weeks.

The song opened at #1 on the ARIA Digital Chart and debuted at #4 on the ARIA Singles Chart, reaching #1 on September 21. It has also been certified 2x Platinum with 140,000 in sales. It is Pink's 4th #1 in Australia.. The song peaked at #1 on the Australian Airplay Chart, and stayed there for 3 weeks, and is the first of 5 consecutive #1 radio airplay hits in Australia.

In Sweden it had Pink's highest debut there, at #9, and has climbed to #2, making it her highest charting single there. In other Scandinavian countries it also debuted, in Denmark it debuted at #14 and in Finland it debuted at #13. In the Netherlands, the song debuted at #28 on the official Dutch Top 40, where it has peaked at #4 so far.

In Belgium "So What" debuted at #48 in Flanders and at #32 in Wallonia, and in the combined chart at #36. The next weeks "So What" climbed to a number 4 in Flanders. Also in Austria it debuted at number #14 on Austrian Top 75, but dropped out the chart in the second week. Several weeks later it came back to Austrian chart and has since peaked at #1.

It has reached #1 on the official New Zealand RIANZ chart becoming her first number one since "Don't Let Me Get Me" in 2002 and the first country that "So What" became number one in. "So What" spent five consecutive weeks at number one in New Zealand and was certified Gold after eight weeks with sales of 7,500+. It has become her fourth number 1 in New Zealand to date. After twenty-two weeks on the chart, "So What" was certified Platinum selling over 15,000 copies.

On September 28, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at #38 on downloads alone based on two days worth of sales. After the song's physical release, the following week "So What" knocked Kings of Leon's "Sex On Fire" from number one, beating the comeback singles from Oasis ("The Shock of the Lightning") and Boyzone ("Love You Anyway"). "So What" is Pink's second solo number one single in the UK, the first being "Just Like a Pill" and third overall, including "Lady Mamalade". It also set the record for the biggest jump to number one within the top 40 as it jumped 37 places to number one, beating last year's 34 place jump by Sugababes with "About You Now". It sold 4,096 units when it debuted at number 38 after one day of download sales. It sold in its first full week 53,264 copies which is the third-biggest #1 sales in the UK in the year 2008. Only Duffy sold more with "Mercy" (53,594) and Estelle with "American Boy" (60,497). In its second full week it sold 44,037 copies. It its third full week and fourth overall, its sales increased marginally to 44,982, bringing its total sales up to 146,379 so far. It in fifth week it sold a further 37,986 totaling 184,365 units. However, due to leaked units or copies (it is unknown when they leaked), total sales actually stand at 185,387 to date, as quoted by MusicWeek. In its sixth week the song moved a further 35,664 units bringing its sales to 221,051 and therefore being eligible for a Silver certification (200,000+ sales).

It has also become Pink's biggest UK single to date.

On December 29, 2008, "So What" was announced as the 14th biggest selling song in the UK in 2008 with sales of around 360,000 sold to date.

"So What" entered the German Singles Chart at #1 (three weeks) on the October 11, 2008 chart, making it Pink's first solo #1 there as well.

On October 19, 2008, "So What" was announced #1 for a third week in a row in the UK top 40 singles chart.

Dave Meyers, who is known for having artists giving an over-the-top portrayal of celebrities or themselves, directed the video for "So What". Pink previously worked with him for the videos to "U + Ur Hand" and "Stupid Girls", which earned MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video. Pink also worked with Meyers on the videos for "There You Go", "Most Girls", "You Make Me Sick", "Get the Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me" and the Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle track "Feel Good Time". The video was shown on August 22 on FNMTV. The video has premiered on 22 August on the UK music site Popjustice.

Pink posted a message on her website for her fans about what it was like to shoot the video:

—Pink, Pink's official website

The video begins in a tattoo parlour, Pink is getting a tattoo of a red void mark on her arm across an existing tattoo before the scene cuts to Pink riding down Sunset Boulevard on a lawnmower and drinking alcohol. Pink is then shown entering Guitar Center browsing guitars. She pretends to play before attempting to smash it into the ground, but she is restrained by a store clerk which leads to them engaging in a fight. Pink is shown cutting down a tree engraved with her real name and her ex-husband's names with a chainsaw. She cries on the chainsaw, while telling herself that she is all right, right before the tree falls and nearly crushes her neighbor (played by Will Sasso). After this, Pink is sitting in a bar after losing her table to Jessica Simpson, accompanied by a man who is playing the drums out of glasses.

The next scene goes to Pink on a motorbike, while a newly wedded couple in a car pull up beside her and wave and smile at her. Jealous and outraged at the happy newlyweds, Pink is shown throwing objects at the car and popping the blown up condoms used to decorate the vehicle, before climbing onto it and playfully (albeit violently) attacking the vehicle. Pink is then shown stripping on the red carpet, surrounded by photographers, she takes off her jacket to reveal her (blurred) nude body. The paparazzi all snap photos of her as she does choreography from Michael Jackson's video for Thriller naked. Then while getting her hair done, her stylist applies hairspray, as Pink turns on her cigarette lighter, accidentally setting her hair on fire. Also shown are two men urinating in wine bottles, which they give to Pink, however Pink passes them to two guys walking past her. They drink it and then realizing what it is, spit it out in disgust. Finally, Pink is shown surrounded by men and women in their underwear engaging in a pillow fight. The video then cuts between all the scenes shown in the video before ending with Pink poking her tongue at the camera with her husband.

Pink is also shown performing the song in concert near the end. Pink's husband Carey Hart makes cameos throughout the video, such as a scene where they are talking as newspaper headlines flash behind them. Producer Butch Walker also makes a cameo. Pink has stated that Hart had not heard the song prior to arriving for the video shoot.

The video was released on Saturday, September 6 on iTunes, and quickly jumped to the #1 video spot on the iTunes chart in less than 24 hours of it being listed.

The video was ranked on VH1 as the 3rd best music video of 2008 on the Top 40 Videos of 2008. On Facebook it was the second favorite video of 2008. The scene from the video where Pink's hair is set on fire is censored on MTV UK and its sister channels. That scene is replaced with other short clips from the video.