Fancy That by PinkPantheress
#14
In an ideal world, this would have been the biggest album of the year. Incredible tunes and remixes (the Nia Archives remix of Illegal???), great music videos, and that iconic Tiny Desk performance… As far as I’m concerned, 2025 has been her year. While I would love to see PinkPantheress try doing a longer record at some point, it is honestly impressive how much heat she manages to pack into this record’s 20 minute runtime - “Illegal,” “Tonight,” and “Stateside” alone are some of the best songs she’s ever put out.
Part of the triumph of Fancy That is how it both retains and in some ways surpasses the homegrown vibe of PinkPantheress’ prior work. Her sound, especially on opener “Illegal,” is still very nocturnal and retains her UK garage and jungle influences, as well as her sense of emo nostalgia. However, I don’t think her music has ever sounded as club-ready as it does on “Stateside,” and as a whole, Fancy That is the most open about desire and sexuality that PinkPantheress has been in her career. Altogether, this was a really great, very hypnotic pop record, and represents an exciting leap in PinkPantheress’ career.