PinkPantheress - 'Fancy That' • DIY Magazine

This may be PinkPantheress’ first time being shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, but the Kent-raised star has already established a huge legacy for herself since she broke out in 2021. Pink has helped usher in a colossal new wave of heartfelt dance-pop since her debut mixtape in 2021, and ‘Fancy That’ marks her most coherent and joyful project yet, blending nostalgic samples of 90s rave legends with her signature Y2K fashion style.

We catch up with Pink about her journey with trusting her artistry - and what to expect at her shows next year…

Congratulations – this is your first time being shortlisted for the Mercury Prize! How would it feel to win the prize?
It’s an absolute honour to be shortlisted amongst some amazing British and Irish albums. I don’t make music with awards or charts in mind but having Mercury Prize recognise my work and shortlist ‘Fancy That’ felt very surreal. Regardless of the outcome, I am grateful to everyone who has listened and engaged with this project.

‘Fancy That’ is your third project: compared to your debut, it’s a lot more upbeat, fun, and - dare we say - saucy. Tell us about your journey with confidence since then.
With my debut project ‘to hell with it’, a lot of the songs were me experimenting with what my sound was going to be, peak lockdown in university halls… It was a lot more DIY. I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone for this era; I wanted to let go of expectations and see where it would take me. I wanted people to have as much fun as I did when listening to Groove Armada, Basement Jaxx, Just Jack. I trusted myself more with this project and I think that shows.

“I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone for this era.”

Like you say, ‘Fancy That’ explores ’90s rave music from the likes of Groove Armada, Basement Jaxx and Fatboy Slim – what is it about this period of time that’s so alluring to you?
I like how big the music feels, you can tell when they were creating their music they wanted everyone to move. Any good house party I went to when I was younger had Basement Jaxx or Groove Armada playing. Basement Jaxx are really good at building a song that completely transports you, wherever they want you to be, that’s exactly where you will end up when you listen.

You’ve left such a huge legacy for dance music, having recently been awarded an honorary doctorate. If you could tell your younger self of your success, what would she have to say?
She’d probably ask me if I’ve met Gerard Way yet.

And finally – what’s next in store for PinkPantheress?
I’ve just released my remixtape [‘Fancy Some More?’] so I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. I’ll be taking my tour to the US and making some festival debuts next year. I’ve been working hard on my shows; the bag is gone, we’ve got The Pinkettes and my tap-dancing DJ. I want them to be big, loud raves for everyone that sees me!

DIY has teamed up with LNER - the Official Travel Partner of the 2025 Mercury Prize Newcastle - to celebrate the power of journeys, both musical and literal. Read our full 2025 Mercury Prize Newcastle special edition below.

Tags: Features, PinkPantheress