PinkPantheress returns with dreamy club pop on 'Fancy That'

With her sophomore mixtape Fancy That, PinkPantheress doubles down on the flirty, fleeting and often frustrating nature of modern romance — and she does so without losing her signature cool.

The 24-year-old British singer, who first rose to fame with her viral tracks on TikTok, brings a refined version of her bedroom club-pop aesthetic to this new collection. Known for her whispery vocals and Y2K-inspired production, PinkPantheress leans further into her U.K. garage roots while embracing a more polished, danceable sound.

Since 2021’s breakout To Hell With It, she’s become a go-to voice for Gen Z’s bittersweet love affairs — part sad girl, part rave fairy. With Fancy That, she evolves without overcomplicating. The mixtape feels confident, cohesive and delightfully uncomplicated.

Opening with Illegal, she sets the tone immediately. “My name is Pink and I’m really glad to meet you / You’re recommended to me by some people,” she sings, alluding to that thrill of being drawn to someone you probably shouldn’t be. The pulsing synths and surreal energy echo the headrush of risky attraction.

The charm of Fancy That lies in its emotional contradictions. Even when she's singing about romantic confusion or emotional distance, the music never wallows. In Girl Like Me, a slick and layered follow-up to the opener, she asserts her limits. “I’m not a fan of the way we’re moving,” she states coolly, riding a glitchy, infectious beat.

Across the mixtape, PinkPantheress explores themes of infatuation, miscommunication and desire with a playfulness that’s neither too cynical nor too sentimental. Tonight and Stateside are especially strong — two highlights that channel her knack for mixing longing with levity. In Stateside, she flirts with the idea of cross-continental romance: “Never met a British girl, you say? No one treats me this way.” The lyrics are knowingly cheeky, while the production is light, catchy and made for club speakers.

Her collaborations are subtle but effective. There are no big-name features distracting from her sound, and the production choices are clean — never overproduced, never emotionally overwrought. Even as she touches on obsession and rejection, PinkPantheress keeps it cool and clever.

The closing track Romeo is perhaps the mixtape’s most romantic moment. Strings swirl around a steady beat, conjuring the flutter of anticipation and nervous excitement. It’s the sonic equivalent of butterflies — charming, brief and just a little chaotic.

At just nine tracks long, Fancy That doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s a punchy, well-constructed project that further defines PinkPantheress’ lane in the ever-expanding realm of internet pop. She’s still pulling from the past — the ’90s, early 2000s, garage and drum and bass — but nothing here feels stale.

Instead, Fancy That is a time capsule of feeling young, confused, and very online — but still wanting to dance through it all.