Once in a while, an artist comes along with a totally unique and exciting sound that captivates the whole world. Artists like this will end up taking the world by storm seemingly out of nowhere, and they will end up impacting and influencing artists around them in ways that no one ever sees coming. Through her music, PinkPantheress has inspired a love of 90s R&B and UK Garage music in new artists, leading to reiterations of these sounds that are so exciting and unusual. PinkPantheress is an artist who definitely fits this description. PinkPantheress has been on a meteoric rise since she first burst onto the scene in late 2020. She started uploading snippets of her music on Soundcloud near the end of the year. These snippets almost immediately took off in a major way online, leading to PinkPantheress releasing her first two singles, ‘Break It Off’ and ‘Pain,’ early in 2021. In October of 2021, PinkPantheress dropped her debut mixtape, to hell with it, to widespread acclaim, solidifying her as one of the most important young Pop artists on the rise. After doing a plethora of popular features for the first half of 2022, PinkPantheress released an EP called Take Me Home at the conclusion 0f 2022. One the songs from this project, ‘Boy’s a liar,’ got remixed by Ice Spice into ‘Boys a liar pt. 2’ at the beginning of 2023. ‘Boys a liar pt. 2’ went insanely viral on TikTok, peaking at number 2 on the UK Singles chart and number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. After contributing a single called ‘Angel’ to the Barbie soundtrack and doing a couple more popular features, PinkPantheress recently released her debut album, Heaven knows. If this album can carry some of the magic of her past releases, it will solidify her as one of the most important rising artists in Pop music. With that being said, here is how I feel about PinkPantheress’ Heaven knows. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this record, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole.
‘Another life,’ which features Rema, starts out Heaven knows on a really interesting note. The melody for this song has such an enchanting yet melancholy feeling to it. The melody honestly sounds like something that would play at the beginning of a video game like Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. The melody for this song is so complex; at the beginning of the track it sounds like it is provided by an organ, throughout the middle of the track it is provided by bass-heavy synths, and at the end of the track it is provided by an electric guitar. This constant switch-up in the style the melody has makes it so engaging. This melody is put on an eccentric and rapid beat that almost has an anxious element to it. I really like the way Rema’s gruffer vocals contrast the dainty nature of PinkPantheress’ vocals. Rema provides texture to the track and leads into the anxious intensity that the instrumental has at some points. On ‘Another life,’ PinkPantheress and Rema are relating death to the end of a relationship. They are singing about how the relationship they were in is dead and gone, and although they are sad it is over, they hope they will now find peace. ‘True romance’ is a song that sounds heavily inspired by the Indie Pop that was big in the early 2010s. When I hear this song, I think of artists like The Wombats or Catfish and the Bottlemen. The melody and tone to this track sort of feels like a Gothic version of the Indie Pop Rock that these artists made popular. I can hear the influence of artists like The Cure in the tone of the melody, but the way the guitar and drums are played definitely make me think of the aforementioned 2010s Indie Pop-Rock. Although I am not the biggest fan of that kind of Indie Rock(which normally would push me away from this kind of song), the quirky mix that it has makes this song appealing to me. I like the glitchy nature of the beat and the weird sound effects that come in and out, as it makes the song pop. PinkPantheress’ vocals on this song are nice and soothing, but they do not stand out or add much to the track. On ‘True romance,’ PinkPantheress sings about being in love with a famous musician and wanting to be in a relationship with them. ‘Mosquito,’ which was the first single released in anticipation of this project, leans into the 1990’s R&B and Garage music sound that PinkPantheress has shown an affinity for in the past. This song has a pretty similar sound and style to a lot of her most popular singles. The melody, which is provided by a complex guitar riff and is complemented by various synths and sound effects, has a warm and lovely sound that will calm down the mood of anyone that hears it. I enjoy the beat for this track a ton; the beat is dainty and hard-hitting at the same time, and it is full of record scratches that give the song a retro feel. PinkPantheress’ vocal performance ‘Mosquito’ is great. I particularly appreciate the flow in which she sings with on this track, as it makes the song interesting and engaging. On ‘Mosquito,’ PinkPantheress is singing about being in love with the money and fancy things she has accumulated.
‘The aisle’ is the most complex and unique song of the record to this point. It has a melody that feels heavily inspired by 1970s Disco music. There are things about the melody, such as the piano riff, highly distorted guitar that comes in and out, that make me think of artists like Diana Ross or Earth, Wind, and Fire. The mix for this song sounds very futuristic or even otherworldly, though. ‘The aisle’ is like a Disco track that came from a different planet out of the year 2100 or something. This is a cool take of Disco music that I never thought I would hear and that I appreciate a lot. PinkPantheress’ vocals on this song are understated, but that is totally okay because it puts more focus on the riveting instrumental. On ‘The aisle,’ PinkPantheress is singing about a relationship she has been in with a problematic person that she knows she should not be with but can not get enough of. ‘Nice to meet you,’ which features Central Cee, is the most recent official single released from this record, having been dropped as a single the day the album came out. I would imagine this song will end up being a worldwide hit; it has the kind of rambunctious and fun energy that I can see making clubs pop off around the globe for months to come. ‘Nice to meet you’’ is a bold and entertaining Drum n Bass track with a gleaming melody and uncompromising beat(which switches to Drill music briefly during the Central Cee verse). Everything about this song is great. The melody is magical, the beat is lively, and the vocal performances are excellent. Both PinkPantheress and Central Cee shine on this track through their exciting flows and the way that their vocals heavily contrast each other. On ‘Nice to meet you,’ PinkPantheress and Central Cee are talking about a new relationship with someone they probably should not be with. ‘Bury Me,’ which features Kelela, is a total change up from what we have seen on the record to this point. This is a slower Drill music song with a sweet melody yet a very tough beat. It is different from anything I have heard from PinkPantheress so far; this is a cool way for her to expand her artistry. Although the beat for ‘Bury Me’ is definitely Drill, the song has a somewhat similar energy to the R&B Trap music artists like Don Toliver are known for. The vocals on this track from both PinkPantheress and Kelela are awesome. Kelela has a rich tone that goes well with the gritty nature of the beat, and PinkPantheress’ softer tone sounds great on this pretty melody ‘Bury Me’ has. On ‘Bury Me,’ PinkPantheress and Kelela are singing about trying to resist falling in love with someone that is problematic. ‘Internet baby(interlude)’ keeps up the Hip Hop feeling the last song had. Instead of feeling like a Drill version of American R&B Trap music, this song just feels like American R&B Trap music. I could see anyone from Lil Uzi Vert to Rod Wave on this instrumental. To be honest, this is probably the least engaging song on the record for me to this point. There is nothing about the instrumental that stands out to me much; it does not have the charm that the other instrumentals from this project have. PinkPantheress’ vocals on this song are solid, but they do not drive up the quality of the song for me. On ‘Internet baby(interlude),’ PinkPantheress is singing about trying to resist falling for someone she knows she should not be with.
‘Ophelia’ is another song where PinkPantheress goes with a completely different sound than what most people would expect from her. This track has a calm and quiet Alternative Rock sound that reminds me of the early 2000s. When I hear this instrumental, I think of artists like Michelle Branch or Vanessa Carlton. The melody has a sparkling quality to it that sort of sounds like a mandolin. As with most PinkPantheress songs, this one is full of glitchy moments and unordinary sound effects that give the song a current feeling. PinkPantheress vocals on ‘Ophelia’ do not stand out, but they do well with the sweet nature of the instrumental. On ‘Ophelia,’ PinkPantheress compares herself to Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, singing of losing her mind while falling in love. ‘Feel Complete’ is an additional track that goes in a direction we have not seen on this record to this point. ‘Feel Complete’ is a song that makes me think of the Pop and R&B music that was big in the Y2K era. This song has a similar energy to music from that time by people like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and even Aaliyah. To be frank, this one does not draw me in very much. I usually really appreciate music inspired by the Y2K era because I love that era’s music, but there is something about ‘Feel Complete’ that bores me. It does not have the kind of out-of-the-box energy most of the other music from this project has. Even the vocals on this track kind of bore me. On ‘Feel Complete,’ PinkPantheress sings about drinking to numb the pain of a bad breakup. ‘Blue’ is a song that brings the pace back up, which is good to hear after the slower nature of the last few tracks. This song feels like a fusion of the Garage music PinkPantheress is known for and modern Melodic House music. The way the drums are arranged feels like Garage music, but the tempo feels like House. This song has one of the most intricate and unconventional melodies of the project. I love the flute that comes in and out, as it almost gives the song a mystical feel. PinkPantheress’ vocals are sporadic yet delicate, fitting the charming nature of the instrumental. On ‘Blue,’ PinkPantheress is singing about rekindling a relationship with a former lover she knows she probably should not go back to.
PinkPantheress goes back to the Y2K R&B sound that we heard a couple of songs ago with ‘Feelings.’ I have to say, ‘Feelings’ is a lot more gripping of a song than ‘Feel Complete’ is. Everything about ‘Feelings’ is better than ‘Feel Complete, in my opinion. The melody brings a strange intensity that is different from anything we have heard on the record to this point. Similar to the song before it, this track is full of sound effects that add to the melody and make it extra interesting. ‘Feelings’ contains one of my favorite vocal performances from PinkPantheress on the record. She shows off how dynamic she can be with her range and her flow on this track, adding an element of emphasis to the track that really makes it Pop. On ‘Feelings,’ PinkPantheress sings about how quickly she has been becoming famous and how it has affected her loved ones. PinkPantheress brings the intensity back up in the song ‘Capable of love.’ After a relaxed intro to the song, a fast-paced Drum n Bass beat kicks in, which is paired with a bass-heavy synth-driven melody that has a bit of a grating feeling to it. At times in the track, the melody sounds like it is being provided by a distorted guitar with a Metal feeling to it, giving the song a bold quality that distinguishes it from anything on the record before it. PinkPantheress seemingly saved some of her best vocal performances on this record for the end, because ‘Capable of love’ is the second song in a row where she really shines. Everything about her vocals on this track from her flow to her range is exceptional and matches the absorbing nature of the instrumental. On ‘Capable of love,’ PinkPantheress sings about being so infatuated with someone that she can not see herself being with anyone else if she breaks up with her significant other. PinkPantheress closes out Heaven knows with ‘Boy’s a liar pt. 2’ featuring Ice Spice, which I mentioned in the introduction paragraph of this review. If you have any online presence in 2023, I would assume you have heard this track considering how popular it was earlier in the year. This is a high-energy and eccentric UK Garage track that has all of the qualities that have made people love PinkPantheress’ music in the past. This song is so bright and fun, and it will put anyone in a good mood when it comes on. Both of the vocal performances on this song are great. Both PinkPantheress and Ice Spice bring distinctive elements to the song through their flows and tones that make this song so enthralling. On ‘Boy’s a liar pt. 2,’ PinkPantheress and Ice Spice are hyping themselves up after a nasty break up, stating that the boy they were previously with does not realize how awesome they are. This is a phenomenal song to end the project with, as it sends Heaven knows off on a positive note that makes the listener feel good as this album closes out.
When someone garners the kind of hype and popularity that PinkPantheress garnered in such a short amount of time, it can be tough to live up to the lofty expectations that are set on their new music. Because PinkPantheress has already been known for pushing boundaries and setting new standards in Pop music, everything she does from this point on will be expected to have the same kind of impact. I am happy to say that with her debut album, Heaven knows, PinkPantheress definitely nails it. This is not a perfect first album, but it is still very good. On Heaven knows, PinkPantheress expands her artistry and shows how diverse she can be while still sticking to her roots at some points; she toes the line between trying new sounds and going with her signature sound so well, making sure there is something for everyone on this record. Overall, Heaven knows is a very good album that cements PinkPantheress as one of the most important rising artists in Pop music today.
EAST SIDE VIBES 