'Fancy That' wastes no time in immersing us into the year 2000. This album, fans are overjoyed to finally get longer songs but make no mistake: every second counts.

Pink Pantheresses music is entrancing. So much so, that a snippet of her song 'Pain' on a faceless TikTok video grew into a sensation with over 900 million Spotify plays. Five years on, she's added a Brit Award Nomination, Bose Producer of the year Award and a high ranking on the Billboard 100 to her list of accomplishments.

Now in her latest Project, 'Fancy That,' Pink is introducing herself all over again... literally. Her opening track 'Illegal' begins with "My name is Pink and it's really nice to meet you". Instantly, it's clear she's entering a different era but also her most authentic one.

I don't have to tell you how incredible the mixtape is, I'll let the music speak for itself. Today, I'm going to deep dive into everything Pink Pantheress has switched up this time around. And also, why I think this project, which is more upbeat, fun and flirty than ever, is actually super important.

Big Musical Changes

When I saw 'Tonight' and 'Stateside' I immediately felt like screaming. Finally, we had two tracks almost 3 minutes long! As an artist, Pink is notorious for making every second count with every song ending so quickly that you are hungry for more. In several interviews, she said this is an intentional choice.

Also this mixtape has bought out the producer in Pink. She says she uses the term mixtape instead of album because it means more creative freedom. With less harsh rules, her music has returned to the less unpolished feel of her original anonymous snippets- a vibe that drew everyone's' attention.

Expect to be reminded of Just a Waste with a more upbeat energy behind those addictive melodies. We can definitely see the switch with lots more samples including two from Basement Jaxx and one from Panic! At The Disco. The drum and Bass sound feels familiar yet totally fresh.

Finally, the mood in 'Fancy That' is filled with a fresh confidence and sass compared to 'To [censored] With It' which felt more dark-twilight and melancholy. We can really feel Pink's journey finding herself as an artist when listening to this album. When talking recently on the Zach Sang Show she's admitted that music videos and performing live are both unnatural to her and how she's had to work on her confidence with both.

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Aesthetics & Visual Choices

We hear the term 'Y2K' all the time. But nobody embodies the Year-Two-Thousand (that's what it stands for guys!) Aesthetic quite like Pink Pantheress. Even her wardrobe, which her stylist sources almost exclusively second hand, is familiar in an iconic way.

Her style has been described as 'True Thousands' a term coined by Rhian Phin which describes the fashion everyday y2k babes wore, instead of the often imitated looks of 2000s celebrities. For Fancy That, Pink is wearing lots of plaid, tartan and as always very few flashy brand names.

Nostalgia and relatability feel inextricably linked to her sound as well as her fashion choices. At heart, she's a talented producer and masterfully gives new life to 'you-had-to-be-there-to-know' British music samples. Take 'Nice to Know', a song about drifting away from a best friend which incorporates the melody from Spiral as sung by the Sugar Babes. It's a gorgeous track, but it's been buried away; I couldn't even find it on YouTube only Sound Cloud!

Love letter to the UK

Since the beginning Pink's music has been unmistakably a love letter to the UK. The music scene of the late 90's and 2000s was a thriving time for British Pop Stars- think Spice Girls, Girls Aloud and Amy Winehouse. In fact the last time we won Eurovision was in 1997 with Katrina and The Waves. Her music samples from different Pop, Drum and Bass and Garage tracks always breathe new life into nostalgic UK music.

In an interview she said "I don't know if I would have been doing this if I had— been an American girl. I wouldn't have the same influences, I wouldn't have been led to make the music I make now.” Her style has always been rooted into her home country.

How We Feel About UK Flags

Gone are the days when artists loved to take iconic photoshoots with union jack flags behind them. Despite the huge resurgence in the y2k aesthetic, this hasn’t came back.

In fact there seems to a theme of artists slightly dissociating from their UK roots with many listeners of artists having no idea they are British.

Personally, I feel the reason behind this is a growing discomfort with the British Flag.

In summer 2024, there were 29 riots and anti-immigration demonstrations across Britain. This was following a national tragedy where four young girls lost their lives. The riots started because of the heartbreak we felt as nation. However this become completely misdirected into far right protests, which often became violent.

Our England flag should be a symbol of unity, but it quickly come to represent division for so many.

It may seem ridiculous to include something so serious in an article about music. But when I saw Pink Pantheresses’ Spotify cover art, a girlified UK Flag, decorated with London landmarks- it reminded me when we felt more united as a nation. When our national flag gave connotations of the Queens Jubilee, the 2012 London Olympics and Pop Artists like the Spice Girls.

Image Credit: Ank kumar from Wikimedia Commons

Everything about 'Fancy That' is unapologetically celebrating the best parts of British culture: even down to the mixtape name. We are so here for her 1800’s outfits in the Tonight MV and her melodies which sound straight out of a y2k house party.

It may be completely unintentional, but just by being true to herself, she is adding to the reasons why we should feel proud to be British. We have so many incredible upcoming musicians in this country from a plethora of genres: Rappers like Stormzy, jazz singers like Raye, indie artists like Beabadoobee and now Pink Panteresss. Talent can be found everywhere, even in the sleepy town of Canterbury, Pink’s hometown.

Image Credit: Diliff from Wikimedia Commons

As a country, maybe this is the start of a revival of popularity in the UK music scene. There are so many messages and stories within this new mixtape, but something I feel it shows without telling is that Britain is a place where many different people can belong.

The England flag shouldn’t be something that makes people feel uncomfortable or even fearful at times. Our flag is something that belongs to all of us, no matter who you are or your heritage, and it’s something we should be able to feel proud of. For me, the album art with it’s Cath Kidson-esque style makes me feel that pride.

I love 'Fancy That' and you should definitely give it a listen. Just be prepared… you're going to have it on repeat.