PinkPantheress - To Hell With It Review

Hopefully the first of many projects to come, PinkPantheress comes onto the scene after her strong TikTok reception with "To Hell With It". While attending a university in London during 2021, the singer/songwriter posted a few singles to TikTok. Pretty much all of them became instantly viral and became the backdrop for many popular TikTok creators. The songs that had gone viral shot PinkPantheress up many radars, including us here at The Gaming Lounge. After the very warm reception, PinkPantheress was able to cobble together a 10 song EP with previously released and brand new material. With great joy, we get a project that shows a great deal of promise for the fledgling artist. The indie artist sticks to the same melodramatic goth sound, supplemented with upbeat drums and occasional strings to deliver an enjoyable Halloween sound.

THE HEAT:

Pain

Passion

Just for me

All my friends know

This section is populated with the TikTok sensations for a reason. Sonically they're addicting and are able to be played as background noise during any event. The only exception is "All my friends know". This track shows us a glimpse of the potential PinkPantheress has yet to really hone in on. The vocal effects are very entertaining and add variation to the track. The instrumentals remind me of "Passion Fruit" by Drake with the constant drum juxtaposed by a variety of other instruments being added as the song goes on.

THEY COOL:

I must apologise

Noticed I cried

Reason

Break it off

Nineteen

PinkPantheress is on a journey of self-discovery and finding out what her sound is. These songs are dope, but they all rely on the same break-neck speed drums and PinkPantheress ends up being drowned by the beats. Her weaknesses begin to truly show here, as her vocals throughout the album are sound like she's not truly confident in her voice. The drowned-out vocal effect still works here, but it might end up being a problem down the road if people don't want to hear the same style over and over again.

THEY AIIIIIIGHT:

Last Valentines

This is an example of where drowned-out vocals just don't work. Not only does "Last Valentines" uses the same up-tempo drums we've been hearing, but there's also the addition of vocal effects that make it hard to make out what PinkPantheress is saying. This is a shame because it's one of the few tracks where she is trying to tell a personal story, but it ends up being flat due to the inaudibility.

SKIPS: N/A

FINAL VERDICT: 7/10

PinkPantheress was able to jump to the center of attention with her unique TikTok sound. Fortunately, the moment wasn't too big for her and she presented a very good debut project. She did some experimenting with "All my friends know" and "Nineteen". She was able to step out of her comfort zone to good effect. The rough edges are certainly present, especially with the drowned-out vocals undermining her storytelling and the overbearing presence of symbals on instrumentals. As long as PinkPantheress continues to innovate her own sound, and explore different instruments, she'll be here to stay for some time. I'm excited to see what she does in the future!