At this point in her young career, PinkPantheress has already demonstrated a mastery of the quick thrill. The 22-year-old act caters to the short attention span with each released single, the fusion of bedroom pop and UK garage a defibrillator at the highest setting. Lately, PinkPantheress has revealed a new tool from her belt: the ability to team up with a feature and bring out the best in them. 2022’s Where you are meshed whimsical vocals from PinkPantheress with the commanding presence of WILLOW — an addition equivalent to clicking the volume up button on a remote four or five times. The result was a refreshing pop cut showcasing the immersion of another Gen Z spark plug into the PinkPantheress-curated soundscape. 

The formula replicates on Boy’s a liar Pt. 2, as PinkPantheress taps trending Bronx hip-hop darling Ice Spice to hop on the reimagination of Boy’s a liar. The duo levitates above a compressed Jersey club beat, the kick and clap forming a pleasantly surprising bond with fluttery synths that sound as though they’ve been filtered through a toy music box. PinkPantheress cuts through the lucid fabric with utterances of self-doubt while grieving a relationship, asking rhetorical questions such as “Did you ever feel me?” and “Was I ever good enough?” Even Ice Spice — well-versed in leading others to think she was feeling them — briefly sheds her unbreakable persona by confessing, “I don’t sleep enough without you, and I can’t eat enough without you.” 

Vulnerability is a pillar of empowerment, and PinkPantheress and Ice Spice model this in a catchy and admirable manner. For two young women under the microscope of pop culture to divulge moments of powerlessness at the hands of disrespectful and dishonest men warrants appreciation. If this alignment of transparent messaging with infectious instrumental choices resides under the umbrella of “TikTok music,” I possess nothing but elation and anticipation for the future of its offerings.

Watch the music video for Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 here: