Getty Image/Derrick Rossignol
In 2025, we received exceptional projects from Black women in electronic dance music: Kelela equipping her talents for an enchanting jazz-filled live album, hypnotic club grooves from Rochelle Jordan, Amaarae’s ode to Black diasporic dance music, Sudan Archives’ sensual fusion of techno and house, two albums by FKA Twigs for the pregame/afters, and keiyaA’s layered experimental sophomore album.
These projects are often applauded by other Black women and femmes while simultaneously acknowledging the reclamation of dance music’s inherently Black roots. In the music industry, Black women have to work twice as hard to bend the limitations of genres, and that notion is understood by PinkPantheress: “People are less willing to listen to electronic music that is made by a Black woman,” she said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The 24-year-old singer-songwriter refers to herself as a producer first, crediting her days using GarageBand as the foundation of her artistry. Billboard doubled down on this by awarding her the Producer Of The Year award at the 2024 Billboard Women In Music ceremony. In her speech, she mentioned that it took “a lot in the [two-step drum and bass] genre to be recognized on a wider scale.” Filled with gratitude and visibly flustered after receiving the award, she also reaffirmed that it’s common for herself and other Black women to not be taken seriously in the electronic dance music business.
Nearly two years later, PinkPantheress received her first two Grammy nominations, in the Best Dance Pop Recording and Best Dance/Electronic Record categories. If you revisit her two prior projects — To Hell with It and Heaven Knows — a Grammy nomination was clearly in the cards.
Fancy That, PinkPantheress’ second mixtape, is a concise 20 minutes of booming club bangers and playful lyricism. Its lead single, “Tonight,” was previewed on TikTok in mid-March and commenced the progressive thrill for her next album, which arrived in early May. Not like PinkPantheress needs this adrenaline rush from digital virality — her charm and tendency to be online allows her to connect with her fan base in an accessible fashion.
Notoriously known as Gen Z’s pop star princess, PinkPantheress blends breakbeat, jungle, UK garage, drum and bass, two-step, and pop, accompanied by lyrics that directly explore death, love, and desire. Her clever samples on Fancy That range from Florida rapper Nardo Wick on “Noises” to Panic! At The Disco on “Tonight,” furthering evidence from prior projects that she’s a skilled archivist for resurrecting timeless tracks on a funky beat.
The album transported listeners into a glimpse of PinkPantheress’ childhood — filled with UK garage and adorned with Y2K accessories — and its admiration glided through summer into fall following the October release of a star-studded remix album. Walking down the path paved by pioneers like Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and Destiny’s Child and continued by modern songstresses Kelela, Rochelle Jordan, and Tinashe, PinkPantheress’ talent for remixing all three of her projects is a rare skill. Featuring collaborations with Basement Jaxx, Kaytranada, Seventeen, Zara Larsson, JT, Kylie Minogue, and other artists, DJs, and producers, Fancy Some More? is bound to make you boogie more than its predecessor.
In an interview with Complex, PinkPantheress lamented about the connection between online stardom and the hurdles she encounters, such as being stereotyped as a TikTok artist. This one-dimensional view of her is presented through unwarranted comments about her musicality, often resembling microaggressions. Clearly, her talent surpasses TikTok.
For her first late-night television performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, PinkPantheress led a stunning medley of “Illegal,” “Girl Like Me,” and “Tonight” that subtly squeezed sound bites from Wii video game Rhythm Heaven Fever, assisted by her DJ and backup dancers. It’s not surprising she receives Hannah Montana allegations with a performance reminiscent of a celebrity cameo. Meanwhile, on her NPR Tiny Desk Concert, the vocalist — utilizing a harmonica and percussion — formed a stripped-down eight-track setlist including hits like “Pain” and “Mosquito.” Even though this was her first performance without AutoTune, PinkPantheress and her band held it down.
In less than five years, she’s attracted a fan base full of producers, Black alternative women, dancers, queer people, and old British music nerds, and it’s likely that she’ll win over the Grammys next. After Beyoncé’s celebrated win for Renaissance in 2023, it felt like there was hope for Black women to receive proper praise for their contributions to a genre created by their ancestors.
Even if PinkPantheress’ talent goes unrewarded, she’ll be alright. From the moment a snippet of “Break It Off” hit TikTok in 2021, her extraordinary knack for sending listeners into a sonically compelling time capsule has been a gratifying journey to watch. Although the Grammys have been criticized for snubbing Black women, let’s hope they’ll fancy PinkPantheress enough to award her at least one trophy.
