“My name is Pink, and I’m really glad to meet you!” With this phrase, PinkPantheress opened her set with “Illegal,” a track whose exhilarating themes reverberated through every lyric that followed. She burst onto the stage with unparalleled energy, delivering a rhythm that felt almost criminal in its intensity. At the Aragon Ballroom on November 1, the alt-pop artist brought an enticing stage presence that quickly warmed a crowd who had been standing outside in the cold. Every verse she belted was precise yet effortless. As she raced through each track, her performance was relentless, showcasing a mastery of rhythm and timing. PinkPantheress is a force to be reckoned with.
DJ Nick Cheo, who performed at Summer Breeze 2025, kicked off the night with the high power that he’s built a name off of. The self-described “Bedroom DJ” has racked up nearly 10 million likes on TikTok for synergizing melodies from heavy metal to 2000s pop to house music. Cheo drew from his internet persona, inviting TikTok creator Adamn Killa on stage. In his classic move, Killa called out to the audience of PinkPantheress stans, proclaiming, “This is for you!” before moving his arms around his head. While somewhat frivolous, the irreverent moment primed us for a night of dynamic exchange.
While Cheo remixed an eclectic mix of samples from his stationary DJ set, PinkPantheress took the stadium to a higher plane with her embodied movement and lyrical cadence. Encapsulating the tone for the evening with “Tonight,” she delivered lyrics like “Talk later, that’s why/ you’re goin’ tonight” with a flirtatious lilt. Flanked by two rhythmic backup dancers, she executed immaculate and swift choreography. PinkPantheress earned the trust of the crowd early on with her charismatic charm, inviting us to join her for an adventurous night. We were fully along for the ride as PinkPantheress immersed us in her spontaneous stories.
PinkPantheress’s audience interactions acted as accelerants to her lightning pace. She called out to Sarah, a girl in the audience who had just turned 14, using her as a playful focal point to reflect on her sense of lost youth. Her premature fear of aging was undermined by her lively lyrics and spirited presence. While singing the line, “I’m not a fan of the way/ we’re movin’,” from her song “Girl Like Me,” she momentarily disorienting the audience with body isolation dance moves. Her physicality paralleled the shift in the emotional dynamic and played with the uneasy tensions in the relationship described in the song.
At one point, she flirtatiously asked the crowd, “Who wants to be my Romeo?” inviting participation and showcasing her natural charm. This interplay, combined with her fluid oscillation between hyperpop and balladic melodies, created a dynamic balance between teasing and emotional resonance. Her subsequent performance of “Romeo” drew inspiration from pop icon Britney Spears’s “Toxic.” She infused her choreography with the idiosyncratic hip movements from Spears’s seminal music videos. It was not the first time that PinkPantheress’s music was inspired by her predecessors; producer Oscar Scheller also sampled Jessica Simpson in “Nice to Know You.” These allusions to female pop stars reflected her distinctive perspective on agency in relationships.
PinkPantheress is an icon of the emerging hyperpop genre. The style remixes EDM beats with internet sound bites, often from female and queer voices. By embracing these aesthetics, the genre prioritizes a female gaze. PinkPantheress’s performance was an embrace of this femininity and freedom, unconstrained by traditional rules.
