Every Song Is About You

PinkPantheress “True Romance”

I’ve had a hard time understanding people who’ve been dismissive about PinkPantheress because her songs are mostly very short, as if that actually means they’re all unfinished or rushed despite the obviously high level of songwriting craft. Like, I can’t imagine people today listening to, say, the first Ramones or Wire records and being like “yeah, ‘Three Girl Rhumba’ is nice, but it should be two minutes longer to count as a real song.” But yet…

“True Romance” is a collaboration with Greg Kurstin, a producer who’s just as ubiquitous as Jack Antonoff but nowhere near as famous, maybe because his resume is almost absurdly varied. It was a surprise to me that he was involved in this song given that it’s so firmly in PinkPantheress’ wheelhouse, but I can see the song’s fairly ambitious structure and tonal shifts coming out of his skill and influence. As with all of her best songs the appeal here is mainly in the low-key elegance of her melodic style, a highly dynamic arrangement, and a vocal that’s so crisp and clear that it borders on uncanny. There’s also an interesting lyrical conceit – she’s singing about being a pop fan in love with her favorite musician, and wondering what she could be to them besides a stranger. The clever thing is that when she sings “tell me, do you view me the same?” she’s still in character as a fan, but it also plays as a question to her own fans now that she’s attained stardom.

Buy it from Amazon.