Photo: Aidan Zamiri
Rising to stardom by releasing short clips of songs on TikTok, PinkPantheress has finally dropped her debut album Heaven knows. The U.K. artist delivers on all her promises, telling stories of obsession, anxiety, and death.
Rating: 4/5
From posting snippets and demos on TikTok in 2020, PinkPantheress has captured her listeners’ hearts with her reserved yet intimate songs. Quickly, she became known for her shy club tracks that exude a tender and inviting feeling. In early 2021, she released “Break It Off” and “Pain,” which encapsulated young love’s yearning and aching pain.
Heavy on suggestions and never lasting more than a couple of minutes, PinkPantheress pulls you in by thinking she will open up only to switch to the next dance beat. Her music is quick, interesting, and unpredictable — this has made her go viral on TikTok, and she has begun making a name for herself in the music industry. If you think you have never heard of her or one of her songs, you probably have. Her song “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” with Ice Spice soared to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier this year.
Though her original style was swiftly moving from one beat to another, the artist is evidently trying new styles in her debut album. In an interview with NME in February of 2023, PinkPantheress revealed her desire to push herself, making “a shift towards other styles of music.”
This is exactly what she did. Working with a crew of new collaborators, from two-time Grammy producer of the year Greg Kurstin to PC Music’s Danny L. Harle, she transforms her dancy and heart-rending songs into pop songs that are more personable and inviting. A close listen unveils an ambitious young artist, wandering from her established sound throughout the album. This could be a natural step following the success of her song “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.” The rhythmic club beat represents her desire to aim higher, separating herself from the TikTok platform that raised her.
The first song showcases her returns to synth beats and 2-step garage with her upper range; she stays true to her roots and what fans fell in love with. Later, she mixes R&B/funk/pop with her exploration into bigger beats. “Feeling” digs into anxiety and uncertainty, casting this new foundation which feels more confident with its enticing vocal delivery. “Blue” plays into nostalgia for millennial fans, but something fresh for younger generations. Known for her shorter songs, PinkPantheress writes short but feeling-filled songs. “Capable of love,” which is almost four minutes, is a different experience from her older, rushed tenderness; she lingers in its melody and attractive repetition.
PinkPantheress shows off her talent as a writer and producer in Heaven knows, beckoning the mainstream while keeping herself intact with her musical hometown. Yet, what makes PinkPanteress a standout in Gen-Z music is blending different styles, creating a sentimental feel of old-school songs, and transforming them into upbeat tracks. In the end, PinkPantheress embraces her newfound stardom, exciting fans for what she releases next.
Overall, I give the album a rating of 4/5, with my favourite songs being “Feelings,” “Blue,” “Bury Me (feat. Kelela),” and “Capable of love.”
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The photo was a screengrab from Aiden Zamiri’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyY9LnqNlWH/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==