Mixtape Review: PinkPantheress - Fancy That

Coated with so much color and sweetness, a follow-through that tends to strike one’s fancy marvelously. ‘Fancy That’ is the second mixtape that completely embodies the refinement that PinkPantheress has shown on her debut record, bringing some of her most compelling performances, production, and tunes to date.

When PinkPantheress released her debut album in 2023, her UK Garage and Dance-Pop stylings had been sharpened considerably, allowing her tunes to punch through in frequent succession. It’s an overall polish that does provide PinkPantheress a semblance of confidence as an artist, where her poppy sensibilities have always been there but have now been expounded to great measure. Leaving so much more melodic refinement and emotional spark open for her to walk into, where a compelling output is waiting in the wings.

Simply put, ‘Fancy That’ follows through that polish with an even-keeled progression to PinkPantheress’ craft, acting as the joyously confident sibling to the nocturnal quaintness of ‘to hell with it’. It’s a refined form of what PinkPantheress has pulled together in her concise Dance-Pop sensibilities and subtle vocal expression, her resounding confidence managing to hit the kitschy love songs that may have some sense of instability, but, it’s one that PinkPantheress has full control over the situation, allowing that cheeky attitude to be embraced naturally rather than forcefully. This lack of hesitation also bulldozes through on her production, where with additional assistance from other producers like Count Baldor, aksel arvid, and The Dare, the overall drum and synth textures end up even more sparkly than ever before. With this much color to the overall sound and performance, paired with more thoughtful mixtape structure and sample implementation from acts like Basement Jaxx and William Orbit, it only allows the melodies to burst forth with so much flair. Bringing some of PinkPantheress’ most vibrant songs that she has ever composed. The buzzy groove that’s accompanied with hints of piano and guitars on ‘Girl Like Me’, the glossy synths and warbling bass that accentuates that sexual allure on ‘Tonight’, the peppy melody that pops up on ‘Stars’ despite its more dimmer writing, the swells of violins and shuffling drums that accompany the sample of ‘Spiral’ by William Orbit & The Sugarbabes to gorgeous effect on ‘Nice to Know You’, the burbling house groove that saturates on the hook of ‘Stateside’, and the assortment of blaring bass, strings, and guitar that gives ‘Romeo’ such an explosive finish to an otherwise immediate mixtape.

‘Fancy That’ is the mixtape that represents a much-realized version of the Dance-Pop and UK Garage sound that PinkPantheress has embarked on ever since her debut mixtape in 2021. The refinements that were shown on ‘Heaven Knows’ have been embraced to glorious effect on this mixtape, where PinkPantheress’ confidence as a musician gives her vocal expressions, her production, and her compositions so much buoyant flair as a result. Like a small present with pretty decorations, the contents within this mixtape will strike a fancy with repeated listens.

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Favorite Tracks: ‘Girl Like Me’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Stars’, ‘Nice To Know You’, ‘Stateside’, ‘Romeo’

Least Favorite Track: ‘Illegal’