pinkpantheress – The Concordian

QUICKSPINS: PinkPantheress — Heaven knows

The Londoner breakout star releases her debut album on Nov. 10.

Victoria Beverly Walker, who uses PinkPantheress as her stage name, is probably the prime example of TikTok propelling up-and-coming artists to fame. With a runtime of 34 minutes and counting 13 tracks, the 22-year-old singer shows the world she isn’t strictly the source of viral TikTok sounds anymore.

Indeed, PinkPantheress initially crafted songs in her bedroom and posted them online. After one of her videos got half a million likes on TikTok, she decided to release a snippet of her song “Just A Waste.” This action resulted in a quick spread of the audio track all over the app in 2020. Months later, her songs “Pain” and “Break It Off” also became viral, only enhancing her presence and clear grasp of the younger generation on TikTok.

Since her first time on stage in late 2021 for a short and sweet London venue visit, PinkPantheress has now accumulated a series of live gigs ranging from festivals to a couple of solo shows. However, fans of the artist had expressed disappointment towards her songs being too short to be performed live and her setlist not being extensive at all.

With Heaven knows, her catalogue broadened. Joined with song features from Rema, Central Cee, Kelela and Ice Spice, the artist also collaborated with producers like Mura Masa, Oscar Scheller (Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama) and Greg Kurstin (Gorillaz, Adele, Foo Fighters).

Two previously released tracks include the tracks “Mosquito,” and “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” feat. Ice Spice gained huge popularity and got her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. These previews from the album and the rest of the tracklist stay in this very PinkPantheress sound that has grown and developed while keeping her original musical DNA alive.

Her unique sonic aroma is rooted in the genres of Pop, Jungle, Jersey Club and UK garage in a bubbly Y2K tone mixed with ‘00s R&B. PinkPantheress’s soft voice adds a sweet flair as the cherry on top.

Notably, the music video for “Nice to meet you” feat. Central Cee is straight out of a 2006 video clip with its bubbly graphics and choreographies. PinkPantheress’ confidence when it comes to her concrete style is consistent all throughout, from the songs’ productions and visuals associated with Heaven knows.

The British singer communicates storylines of love, heartbreak and infatuation throughout this anticipated debut album. Some of my highlights from the album are the witty hook from Rema on the opening track “Another life,” the catchy and warm production of “Mosquito,” as well as Kelela and PinkPantheress singing the lyrics “I almost fell in love, but I couldn’t tell you” subsequently after the other on “Bury me.”

Heaven knows is a solid and tender collection of what people know and love about PinkPantheress. It also throws away the preconceived notion that PinkPantheress is only a viral TikTok sound maker. As her audience, we get to experience, both sonically and visually, how she is blossoming. The success she built in appropriating her sound that made her popular on social media is now fully owned wholeheartedly in a cohesive manner.

Score: 7.5/10

Trial Track: Mosquito

Get ready to dance, cry, unwind, and vibe –– all within twenty minutes.

PinkPantheress has arrived. The viral TikTok musician released her first mixtape, to hell with it, on Oct 15. One of the standout voices among Generation Z musicians, the British pop singer blew up on the platform in early 2021. Although she is quite new to the music scene, she already has over ten million monthly listeners on Spotify — and her mixtape is quickly raising that number.

In total, to hell with it contains ten songs, but its entire running time is only just over 18 minutes, showcasing what has come to be a theme in PinkPantheress’ music: songs under two minutes. Although the songs are short and the pace of the mixtape may be quite speedy, the production quality does not suffer because of it.

The project itself can be classified as a bedroom pop album — it also borrows from hyperpop, lo-fi, hip hop, classic pop, and electronic music unique to the U.K. scene. The uniqueness of to hell with it is in its cohesion and diversity — the entire mixtape has a similar sound. One of the hallmarks of any PinkPantheress song is her use of samples: she loves sampling songs from the ‘90s and 2000s, remixing them to her liking. Some samples include Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)” and Linkin Park’s “Forgotten.” What is impressive about the project is how different each song is — while they all have a similar feel, they could not be more different from one another.

The mixtape has its highs and lows, both in mood and quality. Songs like “Passion” and “I must apologise” have an upbeat energy and make you want to bop around your room at 3:00 a.m. Other tracks, like “Noticed I cried” and “Pain” will make you want to curl up under the covers and reimagine old dramatic scenarios in your head. PinkPantheress is a master of sad music: as she explained in a TikTok video, “plz understand I don’t write sad lyrics in an actual ‘sad’ way but in a studious, unlucky in love main character in a y/n x Harry x Zayn Wattpad love story way.” Even so, some tracks like “All my friends know,” are filled with an inexplicably vibey energy.

Despite all the fantastic bits and pieces that are so well put together, something is still missing. Fans of PinkPantheress love her Y2K, early 2000s energy, but almost every single track features a sample: in 18 minutes, she somehow manages to sample six different songs. It feels like the real PinkPantheress is still waiting to shine. Her voice is quite melodic, and her lyrics have weight to them, but this mixtape leaves more to be desired. Granted, she is only twenty, so there is no doubt that her sound will continue to come into its own.

PinkPantheress has put out a real gem: to hell with it is the deep and alternative breath of fresh air needed to shake up pop music right now. Her impact can already be felt on social media — the artist’s songs have been used by hundreds of thousands of creators on TikTok, serving as backdrops for dance trends, makeup videos, fashion lookbooks, and so much more. Young people love her sound, as it seems to take them back to their childhood in an enchanting and psychedelic manner. This is PinkPantheress’ first ever project of this size, and it is quite the promising prelude to any of her future works.

Trial Track: “I must apologise”

Score: 7/10