PinkPantheress is still adjusting to the global response to her latest hit, “Illegal.” In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the UK artist shared her honest reaction to the song’s unexpected success. “I definitely was surprised at the reception because I was totally going on a whim, doing the handshake thing,” she said. “I didn’t really expect anything to come from it, but I was really happy to see people were enjoying it. I thought it was really sick.”
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Released as the opening track of her second mixtape Fancy That, “Illegal” quickly became a standout—thanks in part to its viral traction on TikTok and a wave of fan-made videos. The song was officially released as a single on June 6, 2025, just weeks after Fancy That dropped via Warner Records. The short-form mixtape was conceived as a focused club-pop project, built on UK dance music roots. Across just nine tracks, PinkPantheress handled much of the songwriting and production herself, working closely with a small team including Aksel Arvid, Count Baldor, and The Dare.
Despite being a minimalist project in length—just over 20 minutes—Fancy That made a strong impression. In the UK, it debuted at No. 3 on the Official Albums Chart, and hit No. 3 in Scotland and No. 31 in Ireland. In the U.S., it reached No. 72 on the Billboard 200, and climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
But it was “Illegal” that took on a life of its own. It became PinkPantheress’s most successful new single from the Fancy That era. In the UK, it peaked at No. 22 and stayed on the UK Singles Chart for 11 weeks. In the U.S., it broke into the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 96, while reaching an impressive No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
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