Innovative British pop artist PinkPantheress released her latest mixtape — “Fancy That” — on May 9. With a nine-track mixtape totaling a brief 20 minutes, she manages to transport listeners back to the 1990s and early 2000s through her sample-rich soundscape. Known for spearheading Gen Z pop and launching her career on TikTok, the 24-year-old singer and producer creates condensed tracks that cater to a generation engrossed in their screens with fleeting attention spans.
PinkPantheress — a.k.a. Victoria Walker — expressed her excitement in a press release for the mixtape, stating that it “feels like the most tied together project” she has produced. “Fancy That” showcases PinkPantheress’ growth as an artist while still holding true to her roots in U.K. garage and 2000s pop with brevity as her staple.
In a 2024 interview with ABC News, the artist explained that she believes songs do not necessarily need excessive length or repetition, which she learned from her experimentation processes. Instead, her songs focus on creating a certain mood through their beat and lyrics. Referring to the track titled “Tonight,” PinkPantheress wrote in a TikTok post that she doesn’t “wanna see no more song length jokes,” clapping back at criticisms that the artist’s work is unpolished, untalented or relies on samples to carry the weight.
“My name is Pink and I’m really glad to meet you;” the opening line of the mixtape’s first track, “Illegal,” loops in your mind long after it’s heard, serving as a hypnotic introduction to the rest of “Fancy That.” Immediately luring listeners in, it’s equal parts bewitching and mysterious as the track acts as a casual handshake before diving headfirst into a whirlwind of sound.
The mixtape is a cohesive sonic journey that combines catchy production with introspective lyrics that delve into themes of infatuation and emotional complexity. Tracks such as “Tonight” and “Stateside” highlight her knack for blending dreamy vocals with danceable beats. In addition, “Stars” and “Romeo” showcase her growth in lyrical wit and emotional depth, blending catchy melodies with themes of yearning and self-discovery. Every song is rich in sound with vintage samples and the timeless pulse of drum ‘n’ bass. PinkPantheress provides a listening experience that is enriched with nostalgia and futurism, creating pieces that transcend time.
Featured on the record page of Warner Music, “Fancy That” is defined as a new chapter where she “seamlessly blends the music she grew up on with the musician’s earworm production.” Warner Music pins this release as her “fun and kitsch-y era” where she immerses herself in her British culture through genre-defying sound. The mixtape features samples from multiple artists such as Panic! at the Disco and Jessica Simpson, with tracks “Illegal” sampling Underworld’s “Dark and Long” to tell a tale of whirling drug experimentation and “Girl Like Me” sampling Basement Jaxx’s “Romeo” for verses about inharmonious romance.
In an interview with Zane Lowe, PinkPantheress reflected on her previous works as snapshots of her identity at the time. She was open about the impromptu and sometimes disorganized process that went into making her first mixtape, “To Hell with It.” She acknowledged that although it encapsulates the youthful nature of her early style, it lacks the deliberate framework that she stresses today in “Fancy That.” While “To Hell with It” also features fast-paced beats and lyrical storytelling, PinkPantheress is developing as a storyteller by using those beats to support a more structured, atmospheric narrative.
PinkPantheress also explained to Lowe that she approached “Fancy That” with the desire to be more experimental through a liberated creative process. With merging producers, she aims to promote fresh genres while emphasizing artistic originality over conventional acclaim. By emphasizing experimentation and self-expression in her music, she desires to evolve as an artist.
“Fancy That” has a feel-good collection of tracks that resonate with listeners and critics alike. The Financial Times has praised the album for its detail-oriented structure and stylistic evolution, establishing PinkPantheress as an influential artist in the contemporary pop realm. The mixtape received a Metascore of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating “universal acclaim.” Publications like The Guardian and Pitchfork enjoyed the mixtape’s ability to merge varying influences while maintaining PinkPantheress’ unique identity.
Continuing to blur the lines between past and present, PinkPantheress proves that brevity and depth aren’t mutually exclusive. With “Fancy That,” she cements her place as a forward-thinking voice in pop — one who is not afraid to challenge preconceived assumptions of musicality while still honoring the sounds that shaped her.
Fiona Clancy is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. She can be reached at clancyf@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Mia Noergaard.