“My Name is Pink and I’m really glad to meet you” - a phrase you’ve probably heard countless times on your timeline but also the striking introduction to her second mixtape ‘Fancy That’. With a total runtime of 20 minutes and 28 seconds, on May 9 2025 the British Pop Star delivered a love letter to the UK that has for sure made the world know her name. ‘Fancy That’ is not just my favourite but is the best release from PinkPantheress perfectly encapsulating her whole aesthetic and sound. Read on to see how she did it ..
Beginning her musical career in 2021, producing her own songs using GarageBand, she gained notoriety by posting on SoundCloud and TikTok. With an initial break of her Michael Jackson ‘Off The Wall’ sampled song ‘Just a Waste’ going viral on TikTok, it wouldn’t be long before her songs ‘Break It Off’ and ‘Pain’ did the same in early 2021 landing her a record deal. Her debut mixtape ‘To Hell with It’ would follow later that year and begin the trend of all her project titles being British sayings. The 2022 single ‘Boy’s a Liar’ would reach number two in the UK and go on to become her biggest song (so far) when Pink teamed up with Ice Spice for ‘Boy’s a Liar Pt.2’ which peaked at number three in the US on the Billboard Hot 100. The remix would heavily benefit them both and make it on to Pink’s debut studio album ‘Heaven Knows’ at the end of 2023.
Following a period of time where she pulled back from shows to look after her health and figure stuff out. Pink would say she’s someone who really rushes a lot of things and originally wanted to put out the project [Fancy That] in 2024. “Funnily enough I was making it in August, it was finished in November and I was telling my label ‘like me let me release it’ .. and they were like why would you release it so soon, why don’t you give yourself a proper rollout.” Having never done this before, she obviously wanted to go all out with her first attempt and think it through which fully paid off. Clearly a well thought out timeline of events, starting with an easter egg filled trailer announcing a release date with the message “coming to your speakers soon.” After releasing the first single ‘Tonight’ with the dressed up, classical set video early in April, Pink would say “I hope everyone loves, i’m putting everything into this era because i love the music so much! Truly my proudest work”
‘Fancy That’ would officially be announced days later as well as dates for two shows with a bunch of merch available to pre-order on her website. Along with the project’s artwork, I really loved all the merchandise as it brought back a Nostalgic British feeling whilst matching the PinkPantheress aesthetic that is being created. Executed pretty perfectly there would be multiple colourful Vinyl/CD variants as well as Tees, Posters, Buttons, a Zine, a Jigsaw and even a Mug and a Plate!
“You guys have been so supportive of my musical quest since i was 19 years old, it doesn't feel real to STILL be doing this at 23. And YES the songs you've been asking for are on there for the most part (i hope)! I WANNA SEE U GUYSSS”
The second single ‘Stateside’ would be Pink’s personal favourite track on the project and be accompanied with an intentionally nostalgic sharpened music video shot in a JCPenney parking lot, further adding to the y2k aesthetic no matter what country she’s in. 
The next (and my personal favourite) music video ‘Illegal’ would release alongside the mixtape, revealing the real meaning of the song.. Whilst on first listen some may think the opening track is a song about a risky relationship where the singer feels confused, guilty and afraid of being discovered. Pink would clarify: “So, to me it's about buying drugs but that's actually so interesting because it can be taken as a few different things. At first it was actually about using a male escort and then I was like, 'Okay, I'm not, you know, I was like, 'This is a bit ridiculous, because I've never done that so l was like l'm going to kind of leave it up to the listener to figure it out what they want to but it ended up being about buying weed. I've never smoked that. I mean I have once and it, was really bad actually the song is about the fact that it went really bad.” The animation used in the visuals really amplify this feeling and once again add to the 2000s aesthetic.
It was nice to see on release week that Pink went across the country meeting fans, doing signings, little performances and promoting the project. All showing that she is grounded, loves her fans and really cares about the work. She would release the statement: “this is my third project and my lord it's my favourite, a complete archive of how i've been experimenting and feeling free to use some of my favourite british influences in my current music. i want this project to be diverse somewhat, but still at its core a summer bop for a lot of people! i couldn't have done any of this without the help of many collaborators, who i graciously thank every day for making this possible.” Like mentioned earlier, the choice to step away from the spotlight really helped Pink home in on a specific sound as it didn’t take long for the urge to make music to return.
‘Fancy That’ is much more specific and way more in tune with what she wanted for herself to create. Expanding her sound with more classic dance music influence, bringing in styles such as trip hop, house and big beat alongside staple inspirations of jungle and garage to make music that “sounds like a statement”. Looking more deeply, the mixtape is literally full of 90s and 2000s references. Samples including: Underworld - ‘Dark And Long - Dark Train’ on ‘Illegal’, Panic! At the Disco - ‘Do You Know What I’m Seeing?’ on ‘Tonight’, and the interpolation of 2006 Sugababes on the melody from William Orbit’s ‘Spiral’ on ‘Nice To Know You’. Basement Jaxx would be sampled multiple times throughout : ‘Girl Like Me’ samples ‘Romeo’ & ‘Always Be There’, ‘Stars’ samples ‘Oh My Gosh’ and Pink’s ‘Romeo’ samples ‘Good Luck’ by Basement Jaxx. It actually turns out the duo spent a couple of sessions in the studio with Pink, where they mentored her and guided her through their process. “They’re two of the loveliest men ever. They were very pivotal in my learning. I went in there to make beats and songs with them, but I ended up leaving by just seeing their creative process and style and picking their brains…I ended up sampling them. I don’t want to leak how they work, but just seeing how they reach certain sounds or develop ideas was really interesting.” ‘Noises’ samples Groove Armada ‘Suntoucher’ another British electronic music duo who were big in the late 90s / early 2000s UK dance music scene. This track also prominently features vocals from American rapper Nardo Wick’s 2021 banger ‘Who Want Smoke?’. Not necessarily a sample but how can we forget the interpolation of Estelle’s ‘American Boy’ on the track ‘Stateside’ where Pink puts a Gen Z twist on the classic track that is definitely loved here in the UK. One of my favourite moments from the project. Another one of my favourite moments is the refrain on ‘Stars’ which samples Just Jack on ‘Starz in their Eyez’. This actually isn’t the first time Pink has sampled this song, she originally sampled the instrumental of the 2007 song on her 2021 track ‘Attracted To You’.
Pink & Just Jack at Glastonbury 2025
Now simply a staple of PinkPantheress’ music it is clear she loves to reference songs she loves, even ones she’s made herself providing Easter eggs for her fans. "Sampling is funny because everyone has their opinions about it. Some people think it's stealing or unoriginal, which is something I dealt with a lot when I was starting. But for me sampling is my way of sharing a love for something and reinterpreting it. I would only sample something I love, I would never sample something for the thought of it having nostalgia-bait or whatever reason. I do it because I want to reinterpret something I love to different audiences."
‘Fancy That’ would be widely acclaimed by critics and listeners, rightfully so it is a refreshing output and one of the best projects of the year. Promotions would not stop with Pink collaborating with UK Streetwear brand Peak Television for “THE PINKPANTHERESS DOG-EAR” Hat, having her own Victory Lap Cypher, and appearing in various publications, even making it to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon! Where she made her TV debut performing a medley of ‘Illegal/Girl Like Me/Tonight’. Providing insight into her creative process, the demo versions of ‘Illegal’, ‘Stateside’ & ‘Tonight’ would be uploaded onto her YouTube channel, showing the original drafts and thoughts behind these tracks we now know and love. Another super cool idea that I’ve not really seen before. Further making a big buzz when she announced that she had won an under-25s chess grand slam tournament. “i don’t mention the chess lineage that runs in my family enough” - this news would become a shock to many people with Pink further using the chess theme for her ‘Romeo’ music video.
Reintroducing herself, not as a different musician but through this new era of PinkPantheress - a more refined, calculated artist, who is a lot more certain of who she is. Although she may not consider herself a Pop star, she has definitely made a huge impact and it’s not going to stop. Pink has shown her strategic strengths, understanding the algorithm and the constant change of what works on the internet whilst still staying true to herself. Levelling up with her releases, Pink’s genuine talent over the years cannot be denied, just watch her first Glastonbury performance she deserves every bit of success.
Cover Story from RELOAD MAGAZINE ISSUE 5
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