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Rising U.K. pop singer and producer PinkPantheress released her debut studio album, 鈥淗eaven knows,鈥� Nov. 10. An embellished extension of the shy bedroom beats from her teenage years, 鈥淗eaven knows鈥� showcases PinkPantheress stepping into her fully realized musical persona.

For longtime fans, witnessing the drop of 鈥淗eaven knows鈥� is nothing short of heartwarming. When the singer first started posting short homemade demos from a faceless account in 2020, the internet was quickly captivated by her sweet and ephemeral sound. Viral hits like 鈥淧ain鈥� and 鈥淛ust for me,鈥� despite being just over a minute long, featured wistful lyrics of young love and longing layered over pulsing breakbeats. With the eventual 2021 release of her debut mixtape, 鈥渢o hell with it,鈥� PinkPantheress鈥檚 fun-sized catalog remained alluring but left much up to the imagination with fans eager to see her grow into her impressive potential. 

鈥淗eaven knows鈥� is PinkPantheress鈥檚 answer to these hopes. Moving out of her teenage bedroom and into a professional studio, she reveals an enhanced sound that is undeniably more polished but still maintains the charm that made her earlier tracks memorable. In a interview earlier this year, PinkPantheress revealed her desire to graduate from the internet girl persona her TikTok fame had assigned her. 鈥淗eaven knows鈥� meets this goal, showcasing her ability to write and sing pop music for general audiences that stretch far beyond online niches. 

The first track of the album, 鈥淎nother life,鈥� immediately intrigues with a spooky, vampiric organ sequence, complimenting PinkPantheress鈥檚 lyrics about a lover who is so dismissive that they seem soulless. In addition to its dramatic melodies and breakbeats, 鈥淎nother life鈥� features Afrobeats rapper Rema, producing a unique synchrony of vocals from the two. 

PinkPantheress鈥檚 experimentation with a variety of musical moods and sounds is by far the most enjoyable part of her debut album. Following the darker aura permeating 鈥淎nother life,鈥� sunny guitar strumming underlines the lovesick track 鈥淭rue romance鈥� as well as the twinkling drumbeat backing up 鈥淢osquito.鈥�

While previous themes of unreciprocated love and dreamy yearning persist in these newer songs, their amped-up production quality and longer track lengths allow PinkPantheress鈥檚 vulnerable sentiments to flourish further. In the chorus of 鈥淢osquito,鈥� she sings: 鈥溾�楥ause I just had a dream I was dead / And I only cared 鈥榗ause I was taken from you / You鈥檙e the only thing that I own / I hear my bell ring, I鈥檇 only answer for you.鈥�

With her previous collaboration with Ice Spice in 鈥淏oy鈥檚 a liar Pt. 2鈥� being a massive hit, seeing how PinkPantheress鈥檚 signature style fares with other artists is another highlight of 鈥淗eaven knows,鈥� which contains four features total. Her track with U.K. rapper Central Cee, 鈥淣ice to meet you,鈥� has an infectious energy and the duo displays an endearing and addictive chemistry together. Here, the affection PinkPantheress shows throughout the album is challenged by the acts of infidelity that Central Cee boasts about in his verse 鈥� 鈥淏ut it weren鈥檛 one time, it was four or five鈥濃�� creating an interesting imagined scenario of a back-and-forth lover鈥檚 quarrel.   

While the features bring a special catchiness to 鈥淗eaven knows,鈥� solo tracks where PinkPantheress has room to explore more complex emotional issues are the album鈥檚 stand-out gems. 

She further spotlights the shedding of her easily replicable internet-girl label in 鈥淚nternet baby (interlude),鈥� repeating the line 鈥淚 am not your internet baby鈥� in a sultry, robotic tone. In the delicate, fairy-esque 鈥淥phelia,鈥� she alludes to the tragic character Ophelia from Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淗amlet鈥� to express her sorrow over a violent, all-consuming crush. 鈥淪o tell me, what did I do to deserve you killin鈥� me this way? / I can鈥檛 lose my life like this, I鈥檓 still fighting,鈥� she sings, her voice gradually becoming more distorted to replicate the feeling of drowning.

The subsequent song, 鈥淔eel complete,鈥� also employs a combination of sweet instrumentals layered behind melancholic themes. Over a nostalgic beat, PinkPantheress sings about being hurt by a lover struggling with substance abuse. 

Throughout the latter half of the album, we see heavy tracks like 鈥淔eelings鈥� and 鈥淐apable of love鈥� adorned with soft, whispery vocals and angelic sonic backdrops, seemingly acting as masks that PinkPantheress dares listeners to look through to understand what lies behind the shiny curtains of her mind. 

With her debut album, PinkPantheress makes it clear that she has come a long way since her days of anonymously releasing snippets of music online and that she doesn鈥檛 plan on returning. A perfect sonic blend of the new popstar persona she has grown into and the authentic self that her fans fell in love with years ago, 鈥淗eaven knows鈥� invites us to follow PinkPantheress into the new soundscapes she plans to dream up.