PinkPantheress has been steadily gaining traction since she started posting her music in 2020, but the popularity of her songs is reaching new highs as seen with “Girl Like Me.” The music video for the song was released on May 8, 2026, and has already amassed over 3 million views on YouTube and 62 million streams on Spotify. “Girl Like Me” comes from PinkPantheress’s mixtape, Fancy That, which was released almost exactly a year before the release of the new music video and features “Stateside,” which achieved #1 on the Billboard Global 200. A year later, the mixtape is proving its staying power in the zeitgeist.
The music video for “Girl Like Me” has a unique and nostalgic charm. It’s directed by Lauzza and features Davina McCall, a famous British television presenter. You can see the music video and listen to the song here:
“Girl Like Me:” A Masterclass In Sampling
With a run time of 2 minutes and 25 seconds, “Girl Like Me” keeps with PinkPantheress’s signature brevity. Even with the shorter length, “Girl Like Me” avoids feeling rushed or cut off. The song said all it needed to in its own time. The drums and bass have a strong, punchy feel, but PinkPantheress keeps a softer vocal style throughout, making it feel like the vocal line is drifting above and playing into the repeated line, “let it all go.”
One aspect of PinkPantheress’s music that makes her stand out is her use of sampling. In “Girl Like Me,” she samples two songs by Basement Jaxx: “Romeo” and “Always Be There.” However, their relationship goes beyond sampling – PinkPantheress actually worked with them in the studio. She says of their relationship in an interview: “They were very pivotal in my learning. I went in there to make beats and songs with them, but I ended up leaving by just seeing their creative process and style and picking their brains…I ended up sampling them. I don’t want to leak how they work, but just seeing how they reach certain sounds or develop ideas was really interesting.”
She samples other songs in her mixtape, but the sampling avoids feeling replayed. PinkPantheress’s has a wonderful ability to make these samples feel organic and new. In the MixMag interview, she states: “Some people think [sampling’s] stealing or unoriginal, which is something I dealt with a lot when I was starting. But for me sampling is my way of sharing a love for something and reinterpreting it.” She adds, “I would only sample something I love. I would never sample something for the thought of it having nostalgia-bait or whatever reason. I do it because I want to reinterpret something I love to different audiences.”
PinkPantheress is Bringing Back UK Garage Music
UK garage music, which gained popularity in London during the 1990s, is known for its sampling and heavy emphasis on drums and bass. This is the genre of music that Basement Jaxx are known for. The genre has been gaining a resurgence in recent years with artists like Jorja Smith and Gorgon City taking inspiration from it, but PinkPantheress is driving it forward and is bringing it to everyone’s “For You” pages with viral TikTok trends, including people dancing to “Girl Like Me.” The choreography is widely understood to be inspired by the 2008 video game “Rhythm Heaven” and features robotic movements that match the bass and snare.
While “Girl Like Me” is having a resurgence of sorts a year after the mixtape released, the song is sure to stay in your head for a long time. With PinkPantheress being awarded the Brit Award for Best Producer, we’re sure to see more of her work hitting top of the charts again.
