PinkPantheress is opening up about the challenges she faces as a Black woman creating electronic and pop music in a space that still struggles to recognize her fully. Despite the buzz surrounding her recent Fancy That EP, which climbed to number four on Billboard’s Top Dance and Electronic Albums chart, the 24-year-old artist says there’s an ongoing disconnect between her identity and how the industry receives her work.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, PinkPantheress did not shy away from addressing the bias she feels exists in the world of electronic music. “People are less willing to listen to electronic music that is made by a Black woman. That’s just fact,” she stated plainly.
Though she acknowledges that there is privilege in being a recognized name in music today, she also feels boxed in by the industry’s need to categorize. “There’s some considerations I would like to get as an artist which I might not be getting right now, since maybe it’s harder to put me into a genre,” she explained.
PinkPantheress has made a name for herself with her distinct sound, blending garage, drum and bass, and bedroom pop, but often finds that this very uniqueness makes her more challenging to place, and therefore, harder to champion. “When I have these pinch me moments, it’s like, ‘wow, I really need to hold on to this’ because I don’t know when the next one will be,” she said.
As the voice behind viral hits like “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2,” PinkPantheress continues to build a strong and loyal fanbase, yet she admits the road to recognition feels steeper than it should be. “I suppose it’s harder for me to be taken seriously and rise the ranks,” she added.