Music Review: PinkPantheress' club pop mixtape 'Fancy That' is a lighthearted level up
For the curious and ultra-trendy, Charli xcx's neon, vomit green party banger 'BRAT ' was more than an album; it inspired the cultural moment of 'BRAT summer.' While internet-pop sensation PinkPantheress' style is quite different, it seems her sophomore mixtape is coming out just in time for a 'Fancy That' season of her own.
Gen Z immediately flocked to 24-year-old British singer-songwriter PinkPantheress' 'Fancy That' singles on TikTok, the platform on which she's come up significantly in the last few years, with earlier hits like the U.K. garage 'Break it Off' and 'Boy's a Liar PT. 2,' featuring New York rapper Ice Spice.
A producer first and foremost, PinkPantheress launched with those viral songs — her sweet soprano carrying addictive choruses that resonate with the very online. This cover image released by Warner Records UK shows 'Fancy That!' by PinkPantheress. (Warner Records UK via AP
Across 'Fancy That,' with grounded but baby-soft vocals, PinkPantheress' signature sound is reminiscent of '90s British electronic music as pulsing club beats layer over dreamy synths, melding U.K. garage with bedroom hyperpop.
The mixtape is a leveling up for a young artist indulging in the flirty fun of liking someone whom you shouldn't. That's clear from the strong opener 'Illegal,' with its bold synths and bolder lyrics.
'My name is Pink and I'm really glad to meet you / You're recommended to me by some people / Hey, ouuuuu, is this illegal?' she sings.
Despite the throes of forbidden, complicated or even unrequited love, there's a lightheartedness to her new tracks, and listeners won't find a single sappy ballad across the album.
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It's an on-and-off romance, as she puts her foot down in next track, the fun and layered 'Girl Like Me.' 'I'm not a fan of the way we're moving,' she sings. 'No explanation for why we do this.'
She explores themes of infatuation and obsession in energetic album highlights 'Tonight' and 'Stateside,' pining after famous musicians and American boys. Both feature catchy and bouncy production, a simple choice but oh so danceable.
'Never met a British girl, you say? No one treats me this way / Are all boys out here the same?' she teases in the latter.
The final dance track 'Romeo' is a whirlwind of violins, evoking the feeling of butterflies in the stomach or racing pulses.
Only nine songs long, 'Fancy That' is fun, uncomplicated and anything but overdone. It's a successful step forward for the rising artist.
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