PinkPantheress ‘To Hell With It’ Review

A nostalgic throwback review of PinkPantheress’ soul-contained debut mixtape

Wisdom Konu

TikTok has birthed a variety of musicians in the last year. Careers have blossomed from the app due to the algorithm, but no viral star’s impact compares to PinkPantheress’. Her organic rise to fame came from her releasing snippets of her music and with that, she gained over 1 million followers on the app. She labels her music as “new nostalgic,” as her music is just that. Her music aches with nostalgia for the recent past and her debut album, “To Hell With It,” released on October 15th,  paints a genuine Y2K fantasy dripping with 2000’s nostalgia. 

“To Hell With It” is an album with quicksilver slices of bubblegum breakbeats for songs. A mix of liquid D&B, garage, and a multitude of samples makes up the album. No song on the mixtape exceeds three minutes, but each song contains vulnerable lyrics that soak through. Her breakout song “Pain” sets the tone for what is to come and expresses her feelings of disappointment in regards to a relationship that did not work out. In the song, she uses her sweet, addictive voice that sets her apart from other artists in this present day, and it fills the empty space with “la la las.” 

Most songs on the album speak of unrequited love or doomed relationships. But songs like “All my friends know” and “Nineteen” reflect on her own life. “All my friends know” lacks the vibrant energy found on the rest of the mixtape as it is a much different track but shows a willingness to shoot from outside her comfort zone. “Nineteen” is also one of the tracks that doesn’t use U.K. garage or breakbeats and is also rather slow with the sound of drawn-out violins and is the closest thing to a ballad on the tape. It reflects her confusion at the age of 19 and speaks of her conflicted feelings with home and the boredom she feels when she has returned. PinkPantheress’ “To Hell With It” is a genuine, heartfelt album that sets the stage for her career and her as a voice in this generation.