“to hell with it” by PinkPatheress

PinkPatheress has released her first mixtape and I am in love

By: Na’Jai Wilson

After taking TikTok by storm with her hit singles “Break it Off” and “Just a Waste,” 20-year-old singer-songwriter PinkPatheress has released her debut mixtape “to hell with it.” Like many others, I was exposed to PinkPatheresses’ musical prowess through social media. When I listened to “Break it Off,” I was impressed by the softness of her voice and how well it paired with the textured and busy background beat of the song. The lyrics threw me for a loop as I sharpened my ear to further interpret their layered meaning. I fell in love with her musical sound and found myself surfing her Spotify page for more. My hunger was satisfied by songs like “Just for Me,” “Passion,” and “Pain.” That was until she released “to hell with it” and I was once again submerged into a sound that I absolutely adore.

PinkPatheress’ debut mixtape was released by Parlophone Records, a German-British record label owned by the Warner Music Group and known for signing artists like Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz. In a similar vein as Albarn, PinkPatheress has forever altered the hyperpop genre of music. Though her sound is unique in its own right, it is similar to work pioneered by artists such as Charli XCX, SOPHIE, Rico Nasty, 100 gecs, and many more. In adding 1990s UK jungle elements to a more softened take on the glitchcore genre, PinkPatheress brings a nostalgic but fresh sound to the music scene that I never knew I needed. 

The visualizers and music videos she has paired with these songs further lend to the early 2000s Microsoft aesthetic—an aesthetic that I am absolutely living for. Her songs remind me of the best parts of “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada, bringing me back to the nostalgia of my youth. However, her lyrics bring my adulthood to the forefront, as they focus on the struggle of being an adult who has no clue how to make her way through her inner world or, even worse, her outer world. Her songs are catchy and her lyrics clever, with her vocals flowing ethereally alongside echoing adlibs and a pumping beat. My favorite tracks from her mixtape are, of course, the oldies but goodies. Of her newer songs, my favorites are “Last valentines,” “Reason,” and “Nineteen.” “Nineteen” is my favorite of the three, and it has tapped into my inner being so much so that I was unable to recover after hearing the lyrics, “I wasn’t meant to be this bored at nineteen… my mind is alone because I'm alone.” I’m no longer nineteen but I felt these words pour over me like ice cold water. I swear that if my inner consciousness could be summed up in sound, it would be PinkPatheresses’ entire musical discography. But then again, I love everything that she has created and am totally biased.

Nonetheless, PinkPatheress has truly carved out a new lane for herself, creating something novel and yet familiar, a sound that I hope lasts in the ever-changing realm of popular music.