Since first gaining attention as a niche TikTok artist in 2021, we—the public—have watched her blossom into an artist in her own right, demonstrating increasing depth, confidence, and creative ambition with each new release.

Through the back-to-back singles “Tonight” and “Stateside,” accompanied by their respective music videos, Fancy That offers an exciting glimpse into where Pantheress currently stands in her career—both personally and sonically. It’s also interesting to see her revisiting the mixtape format. Often favored by artists seeking a less commercial and more experimental approach, mixtapes allow greater freedom in structure and artistic direction.

After her first full-length LP in 2023, Heaven Knows, fans might have expected a follow-up album rather than a mixtape. But following her mental and physical hiatus from live performances in 2024, Pantheress now returns with a much more understated approach. With 11 tracks spanning just 20 minutes, it’s safe to say Fancy That isn’t her most daring or groundbreaking project. More than anything, it feels like a safe departure from Heaven Knows—a project that, metaphorically speaking, felt more like a short domestic flight than a five-hour international journey. 

Still, Fancy That retains many of the elements that initially made audiences fall in love with her sound. Pantheress isn’t making bold leaps from her established style, but she does show clear artistic growth that fans will appreciate. There’s a newfound sense of confidence and clarity in how she presents her music this time around. By partnering with producers like The Dare and Mura Masa, handpicked collaborators that align with her vision, she’s clearly taking her time to find and refine her voice as an artist–she’s steadily evolving right before our eyes.

In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Pantheress revealed that she’s a dedicated student of pop music and takes a highly critical approach to how she markets herself. That intentionality is evident in this current era: since April 2024, she has been teasing snippets of her track “Romeo” on TikTok—a platform central to her strategy since the very beginning. It’s a clear case of “if it ain't broke, don’t fix it.”

Whatever happens next, Pantheress remains an important voice in the current music scene. She has proven herself a master of her craft, making wise and deliberate choices that only deepen the public’s admiration for her—and that admiration is only bound to grow from here on out.