After the release of her 2021 mixtape, to hell with it, fans have eagerly anticipated her next full-length release, and finally, the wait is over. An accumulation of music made over the past two years, Heaven knows is the debut studio album of UK singer and producer PinkPantheress. With a central theme around finding peace in solitude, the singer takes a new direction with her work while staying true to her roots of alt-pop and drum and bass.
Arriving on the music scene in 2020, PinkPantheress uploaded many of her well-known songs on SoundCloud. However, it wasn’t until she began posting her work on TikTok that she found success. Her unique blend of UK genres and alternative pop was quickly noticed, and her rapidly flourishing fanbase praised the artist for her mix of 90s and 00s samples, creating a truly unique experience. The artist’s big break came from the first official single for the mixtape “Break It Off”, which made her a prominent figure in the world of UK and alternative pop amongst the younger generation.
The release of the album was announced a month ago on October 12 with the single “Capable of love” and previously released singles “Mosquito” and “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2”. The album has four music videos accompanying the previously mentioned singles and one other track, “Nice to meet you”, featuring UK rapper Central Cee, and a visualizer for the other nine tracks.
The album commences with a blare of organs and distant rain in the background, signaling her haunting return. Featuring the Nigerian rapper Rema, “Another life” describes the beginnings of an unhealthy obsession over a person. With lyrics, “You melt all my body and all my heart/…/Guess I’ll see you in another life,” PinkPantheress and Rema illustrate the feeling of not wanting to let someone go, even in another life.
In the upbeat-pop track “The aisle”, PinkPantheress realizes that her love may be better off without her—and she’s not ready to accept that. Imagining her love walking down the aisle, PinkPantheress hopes to work things out again, stating, “I still refer to you as an option/ ‘Cause you’ll always find your way right back to me.” However, PinkPantheress seemingly feels conflicted, voicing, “You can say you’re sorry/Do you ever really mean it?” Not phased by material possessions, she reflects on past troubles and consequences, laying her thoughts out on a catchy, earworm-inducing beat.
An allusion to the character from Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the track “Ophelia” submerges listeners into an emotional near-death experience, singing, “You can see me underwater/As I descend, I see my life flash again.” While she may not be literally drowning, the track details the singer’s struggle between the life and death of her love. With distant sounds of bubbling waters and lyrics describing the harrowing scene, PinkPantheress places listeners in the position of a drowning Ophelia, and it’s hard not to be reminded of the iconic painting by Sir John Everett Millais of the same name.
Closing the story, “Capable of love” is probably PinkPantheress’ heaviest song. Released with the album’s announcement, the track runs for nearly four minutes—her longest to date. Accompanied by the thunderous sound of drums, PinkPantheress wanders an agonizing ordeal of her creation, vocalizing, “I’m obsessed with the idea that one day it breaks up/’Cause after that I know I’ll never be as capable of love.” Longing to hear those three words, PinkPantheress weaves a heartbreaking narrative, seemingly losing her grip on reality, stating, “Don’t you feel everything you’re supposed to?/I’m wastin’ away, I feel psycho.” As the song reaches its end, the singer’s slowly fading pleads for love are heard, creating an image that burns into the listener’s memory.
Over the past few years, PinkPantheress’ unique formula for success has secured the hearts of millions of listeners. With an impressive discography and groundbreaking debut that is nothing less than viral, PinkPantheress brings forth a new wave of music in the industry. What’s next for the singer-songwriter? Only Heaven knows.
