If You Hand PinkPantheress the Aux at a Party, This Is What She'll Play
From the music she grew up on to what she's listening to now, the British hitmaker shares what's on her playlist.
If you ever wanted to know who is on your favorite singer's playlist, or what albums inspired the latest “it girl” the most, tune in for Marie Claire’s resident music franchise Listen Up. In this interview series, we ask musicians about their listening habits and the specific records that informed their taste—and inherently their journey as an artist.
British electronic phenom PinkPantheress knows how to keep a party going. The hitmaker has a penchant for DJing when she’s out with friends, whether she’s at home in London or elsewhere. “There was one night in Bristol where I ended up playing some 2-step classics off my phone in this tiny kitchen at like 3 a.m.,” she tells Marie Claire. “Everyone was too tired to dance but still stayed to listen to the tracks—almost like, Don’t let the night end.”
That feeling is all over the 24-year-old’s frenetic new mixtape, Fancy That. The surprise release, which dropped in late May, is arguably PinkPantheress’s most certifiably British project to date. It's inspired by iconic DJs like Fatboy Slim and ‘90s U.K. garage, while also featuring the Y2K flares that captivated her Gen Z fans and made her an electro-pop musician to watch. She’s quickly become the frontrunner for the song of the summer crown since the album’s third single, “Illegal,” inspired a cheeky TikTok trend.
“It’s been kinda weirdly peaceful,” the recording artist says of her stratospheric climb up the charts. But she’s still learning how to strike the right balance between being an experimentalist and being a pop star. “It’s like arguing with yourself over whether to be mysterious or catchy. But the reward is when someone tells me they listened to a song on repeat and still felt like they hadn’t fully cracked it. That layered feeling makes the overthinking worth it.”
Here, PinkPantheress shares which other famous Brits inspire her as an artist, what Avril Lavigne song makes her cry, and who she’s eager to collaborate with.
The cover artwork for Fancy That.
Lily Allen or M.I.A. They made sounding like yourself feel cool. I was obsessed with how casual they sounded while saying the most cutting things.
Late '90s U.K. garage in real time—not just watching grainy footage on YouTube and romanticizing it from afar.
When they used “Only You” [by Yazoo] in The Office (U.K.). Not a movie, but still gut-wrenching.
I saw Paramore once and left feeling like I’d been in a dream. Hayley [Williams]’s presence onstage feels like she’s floating above time or something.
A faded Burial hoodie that’s definitely not aesthetic anymore, but I still wear it because it makes me feel cool, TBH.
Fancy That features a number of samples from artists like Basement Jaxx, Jessica Simpson, Panic! at the Disco, and more.
“Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap. It’s so simple, but kills you if you’re in the right mood.
Clairo would be nice. Our sounds are quite soft, but something about that contrast of our usual instrumentation could be fun.
Pet Shop Boys, Lady Gaga, Kelela, M.I.A., and then someone unexpected like Solange, at sunset.
I weirdly go back to early Avril Lavigne. “I’m With You” still hits.
Anything that sounds like it could’ve played at a MISS SIXTY afterparty.
PinkPantheress worked on her new mixtape with a handful of rising producers, including Aksel Arvid, The Dare, and Count Baldor
Some weird mix of trance, anime intros, and myself. It keeps me alert!
Something that makes everyone go, “Wait, what is this?” but still dance. Probably a deep cut from Fancy That.
“As I descend, I see my life flash again” [from “Ophelia”]. It’s dramatic, but in a way that felt true at the time, and it’s such a me way to say, “I was in over my head.”
“Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers—but only if you made it DB.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
