Shy, she ain't.

In fact, it's tough to imagine the artist known as Pink as anything but the self-assured young woman whose debut single, "There You Go," is causing a ruckus on the airwaves. It's clear, whether one merely sees her, or hears her, or spends some time talking with her, that she's lived a lot in her twenty years.

But it's not just the old story of tough-girl-finds-her-talent-and-makes-good. It's clear that the Philly songstress and latest hit-maker for LaFace Records, with her disarming combination of innocence and worldliness, is right where she wants to be, and that it might be the only place she ever really could be and still be herself. All signs point to her being born to hold a mic while belting out her feelings, uncensored.

As MTV News' Roger Coletti discovered in a recent interview, Pink's world is a little different, a little more personal, a little more intense than most. And that's the way she likes it.

MTV: You've got the single out now, "There You Go," but you've been singing for a long time. Give us the lowdown.

Pink: I grew up singing with my dad. He played the guitar and sang, and he listened to everything, from blues to jazz to country to rock -- just everything. And I sang gospel in church at the same time that I was out skateboarding and being the lead singer of a rock band and going to hip-hop clubs. And then I was in another group, me and three black girls. They kicked me out because I was white, which I don't have a problem with. Everything is a learning experience.

MTV: You write, too.

P: I've always written poetry. I think writing is a requirement for artists. Now, so many artists are so polished, and a lot of them don't write. But I have an awful lot of issues, and I'm just glad they gave me the chance to prove myself. I'm not an artist that gets up and sings love songs. I'm not in love. It's not going on in my life, so I can't be passionate about it.

MTV: What's the most personal track on the upcoming record?

P: It would have to be a toss-up between three songs: "Can't Take Me Home To Momma," "Stop Falling," and "Split Personality."

MTV: Why?

P: "Can't Take Me Home To Momma" I wrote when I was very pissed off. I was with someone of a different race, and he didn't want to take me home to his mother because he didn't think that his mother would approve of me, basically. "Stop Falling" is a ballad I wrote about being too young. I'm not looking for love. I'm not looking for all the stress that it brings. I'm looking for better days, and either give me everything or nothing at all. "Split Personality" is just me. I was in the car the other day, driving, and somebody cut me off and I was about to kill them. That's where "Split Personality" came from. That song's going to let the world know how many issues I really have.

MTV: How does it feel, coming out at a time where there are a lot of young female singers around?

People are going to know who I am. They can watch the video one time and see the difference. I have no problem with any of the artists out there today. I think some are talented, and some aren't. I mean, I was signed back in '96 when there was no pop craze going on and they didn't know what to think of me. I have a bigger mouth, a lot more to say. I've always been the type of person that followed Madonna like a lost puppy. I didn't speak to my mother for a year, because I was sure she adopted me. I swore that I was separated from Madonna at birth. I liked the fact the she did what she wanted when she wanted to do it. MTV: So have you gotten over the fact that Madonna is not your mom?

P: Well, they said she had her first child a couple years ago, so I'm kind of accepting it and moving on. I love my mommy, though. Hi, Mom!

MTV: How'd your mom feel when you were convinced Madonna was your mother?

P: She told me I was probably right, and that I should go find her. [Laughs]

MTV: Tell me about the single, "There You Go"

P: I was pissed off when I wrote it, again. I'd been with the same person for about four years, and I was really mad at him. Everybody wants the upper hand in a relationship and I figured, "Guess what? I get to put it on the radio. I'm just gonna write a song about you, and then the whole world's gonna know." But we're fine now. MTV: And he doesn't mind all that?

P: He loves it. He's falling in love with himself. He was upset the first day, but he got over it. He's my best friend, you know.

MTV: Have you worked with any guest vocalists for the album?

P: Not yet, but I'm waiting for Eminem to stop playin'. I want to work with him. I want to work with Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. Lauryn Hill. I'd like to do a song with Madonna someday.

MTV: What do you do between now and when the album drops in April?

P: I don't know, I'm too excited. I did the NBA All-Star thing, my first ever televised appearance, and the audience was singing along with me. I was trippin'. I did everything I could not to cry. I was about to pass out. I mean, I've been working on this for so long. Four years is not a long time, but then again it is.

MTV: Are you confident enough to take it on the road? Are you ready to go on tour?

P: I'm ready. I want a microphone and an audience and they can keep all the other stuff. I just want to sing. I want a carnival. I'm ready.

MTV: You shot the video for the single. What was that like?

P: The video was the best three days of my life. Dave Meyers is the best. He is the only director I ever want to work with in my life. We were all exhausted but we had so much fun. I got to crash a motorcycle through somebody's window. I crashed two motorcycles. That's why I'm wearing pants the whole video. I had cuts and bruises all over my legs. I scared the crap out of everybody. They had insurance policies all over the place. Plus, my makeup artist was fierce. I was happy! And then there were the guys I got to cast. Yeah, I did the casting, ladies and gentlemen.

MTV: You've had a real tough life over the past few months.

P: Yeah, right! [Laughs] I can't complain.

MTV: Finally, about the hair and the nickname: Is that your natural color?

P: [Laughs] Oh yeah, it's been like this since I was a baby. They don't know why.

MTV: And how did you get the nickname Pink?

Well, I went to camp when I was young. I was six or seven and I had my first crush goin' on. We all went swimming but I didn't have a bathing suit. So I just swam in my underwear. No big deal. When it was time for the kids to put their dry underwear back on, I was like, "Aw, shucks, I don't have any. I'll just put my shorts back on." My crush, Devin, decided that he was going to pull my pants down, and there was my ass. Can I say that? Oh, well, I said it already. Anyway, I got embarrassed, and I turned pink. I mean, I turned bright pink. And he looked at me and said, "Pink." I never lived it down.