On TikTok this past summer, PinkPantheress’ singles were all over the For You Page. Her song “Just For Me” was, at one point, one of the most used sounds for lifestyle videos and background music for quick vlogs. 

About a month ago, “Passion,” another trending single on TikTok, was removed from Apple Music unexpectedly. It was one of her top songs, and it wasn’t until her debut mixtape, to hell with it, was released that it magically reappeared. 

To hell with it is a collection of PinkPantheress’ best tracks that she released this year, except there are only ten songs. Four of these songs, “Pain,” “Just For Me,” “Break It Off,” and “Passion” have each been released multiple times. “Break It Off” has been released five times, and “Passion” and “Pain” have been released three times, and “Just For Me” has been released four times. 

In an Instagram caption posted on Oct. 13, she clearly states that to hell with it is not an album but rather a mixtape. The 19-minute collection is supposed to capture the talent the English singer-songwriter holds, but the generic Indie pitches don’t qualify her to be one of 2021’s “breakthrough” artists. 

I have mixed feelings about PinkPantheress’ voice. It’s soft and whimpery and never changes tone. The high-pitched tone makes her most popular songs the catchiest, and that’s exactly why she keeps releasing new versions of the same song. Her songs blew up on TikTok, and PinkPantheress ran with the songs that gained the most traction. It’s annoying, truly, that she hasn’t released much else except for the sounds that went viral. 

Her aesthetic reminds me of the Indie/Alternative phase some teenage girls went through last summer. It all reminds me of over-saturated selfies and the vibrant colors and stickers overlaid on top of photos of Monster cans and stuffed animals. It’s an eyesore and should never make a re-appearance. 

To hell with it had a smooth flow. There was no song that interrupted the connection, nor was there one that was drastically different from the rest. The only reason it had a smooth flow was because all the songs sounded the same. Every chorus sounded like an extension of the song before. To hell with it is supposed to be a collection–a “mixtape”–of her best work, but not one of the ten songs had a striking difference from the rest. 

However, to hell with it wasn’t her best work. Ten cliché, repetitive songs don’t fit the criteria for her 2021 “breakthrough” artist title. “Just For Me,” of all songs, was the one I liked the most. It was a little bubblier than the other songs, but it still didn’t impress me. 

For a debut mixtape, I expected this to be PinkPantheress’ grand entrance to the pop scene. I expected vocals that were wild and feel-good songs that can brighten a gloomy mood. Instead, PinkPantheress’ fans from TikTok were handed a watered-down version of her viral sounds, and needless to say, I’m wildly disappointed.