PinkPantheress Reflects on The Criticism In a New Interview

With the release of Fancy That, PinkPantheress has claimed her place as a rising talent you should watch out for. Yet, as the buzz builds around her latest mixtape, the British singer-producer confronts the other side of fame. Those are the demands of performance and the critique that often follows.

So, in a recent interview with Capital Buzz, PinkPantheress addressed long-standing comments about her stage presence. “I don’t do music to perform, I think is the thing,” she admitted. “I think that people are probably used to—and also expect—a singer to be able to perform well. And I don’t blame anyone for thinking that. I’m not the best performer.”

The self-awareness isn’t defeatist—it’s disarmingly honest. “I’m going to get better,” she added. Thus, she acknowledges her journey without pandering to it.

However, the stadium doesn’t feel like a natural home for PinkPantheress. Her rise to fame was built in bedrooms and on TikTok’s lo-fi edges. “No amount of rehearsals can make a difference when you’re in front of 10,000, 50,000, 100,000,” she said, referencing her struggle with severe stage fright. “I think one of the things people say is, ‘Oh, I think her performances are a hindrance to her career.’ And I do think there is a level of… if you want to make it as a big, big pop diva.”

That pursuit, she suggests, isn’t hers.

PinkPantheress and Her Stage Presence

Thus, earlier this month, PinkPantheress also opened up to Billboard about touring with Olivia Rodrigo. That was a crash course in pop stardom that solidified her sense of artistic self. “Watching her and how she combats an arena… made me realize, ‘Wow, some people are arena artists, and some people are not.’ I’m not an arena artist,” she said. “What happened when I watched her was I saw my own failing and my incapabilities.”

Yet this recognition isn’t a resignation—it’s a redirection. “It just made me realize there are some things in life as an artist you’re told you should try one day—but for me, I think I’m one of those artists where I’m comfortable and where I always strive.”

So, PinkPantheress, now 24, joined Rodrigo’s tour for six or seven shows. This is before she will be away in 2024 due to health reasons. The experience was formative—less a stumble, more a recalibration. Her clarity feels radical in an industry often obsessed with upward motion at any cost.

And Fancy That is the proof. A sonic patchwork pulled together with the finesse of a seasoned producer, the mixtape nods to 2000s rave culture. Meanwhile, she channels the nostalgia and innovation that have become her signature. Drawing inspiration from acts like Basement Jaxx and Calvin Harris, she views the project as her most complete to date. It’s her magnum opus, as she’s called it.

Thus, whether or not she brings Fancy That to the live stage remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: PinkPantheress isn’t performing for the sake of performance. She’s carving a space where artistic intent and personal authenticity can coexist. Hence in doing so, she may be rewriting the rules for what a modern pop star can look like.