U.K.-born Victoria Beverely Walker, known to fans worldwide as alternative pop mogul PinkPantheress, released her second mixtape, “Fancy That,” on May 9. Falling into international acclaim for her short, psychedelic and dreamy pop tunes on tracks like 2021’s “Pain” and TikTok-smash hit “Boy’s a liar,” PinkPantheress has established herself as a rising electronic and pop star. With concerts across the U.S. and U.K., “Fancy That” marks PinkPantheress’s entrance into hyper, house-style dance music, marked by excessive usage of synths, rapid beats and repetitive vocals that hypnotize listeners and elevate her “camp” aesthetic. This is only compounded by intricate visuals in music videos and promotional content, which channel PinkPantheress’s early 2000s aesthetic.
Drawing listeners into the world of “Fancy That” is the first track, “Illegal,” which reenacts an illustrious, secret romantic interaction between PinkPantheress and a romantic partner. Similar themes of romance and heartbreak are present throughout the mixtape, such as on “Tonight,” where PinkPantheress raps that “you could even ruin my life,” and ballad-esque track “Nice to Know You” — in which PinkPantheress laments of a romantic partner being “unemotional,” yet “nice to know.” PinkPantheress’s ability to highlight important themes through short phrases take center stage in the track “Stateside,” where she calls upon an American romantic interest to “be my American, hot, boy.” While some may argue that her lyricism in “Fancy That” is not especially intense or thought-provoking, PinkPantheress’s ability to tackle intimate themes and formulate narratives with relative ease creates an easily navigable pathway through the mixtape.
PinkPantheress’s usage of sampling from the early 2000s is a defining moment for “Fancy That,” paying homage to U.K. artists and producers such as indie singer Jack “Just Jack” Allsopp, dance-music stars Groove Armada and electronic duo Basement Jaxx — PinkPantheress’s musical role models. On track “Stars,” PinkPantheress samples and interpolates Allsopp’s U.K.-famous 2007 tune “Starz in Their Eyes,” taking direct inspiration for the chorus and lyrics of “Stars,” and including excerpts of Allsopp’s original in the refrain to conclude the track.
Another example of PinkPantheress’s intentional sampling exists on the track “Romeo,” where she samples the tune of Basement Jaxx’s track “Good Luck.” PinkPantheress’s ability to contort themes and time periods in her song-crafting on “Fancy That” only deepens the intellectual impact of the album. It draws in listeners interested in the multitude of different genres included through her sampling, highlighting PinkPantheress as a one-of-a-kind artist in a currently diluted music scene, where formulaic music with little unique or rare attributes has taken the spotlight.
Besides PinkPantheress’s imaginative usage of sampling, her inclusion of various instrumentals such as the piano and guitar as lead-ins and refrains for various tracks like “Girl Like Me” helps to hold up and balance the mixtape’s material, especially when tracks become repetitive and lackluster in verse and tune. While PinkPantheress attempts to maintain a similar style of house music mixed in with dance and electronic beats, such themes eventually become dull, as she continuously falls back on similar song structure, seen most in tracks “Illegal” and “Tonight.” “Fancy That”’s impact is diminished by PinkPantheress’s continuous repetition of verses and tunes, which may reduce listener interest, especially from those who seek to be continuously engaged by PinkPantheress’s music. Additionally, PinkPantheress’s short runtimes for “Fancy That” — around two and a half minutes per track — also demeans and lessens the mixtape’s impact.
Despite her young age and short career in the music industry currently, PinkPantheress’s level of innovation and creativity on “Fancy That” cements the PinkPantheress project as a leader in the modern, “camp” style of music. PinkPantheress’s creative usage and homages to her musical idols highlight her versatility in her musical identity — and while the mixtape does take on some repetitive tendencies throughout an agreeably short runtime, we’d “fancy” to see more of what PinkPantheress continues to trailblaze as an artist.
RATING: 4/5
