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PinkPantheress is lying in bed when she calls from Los Angeles. The British artist says she’s good, she’s “just so tired,” and, looking back at her past few weeks, the fatigue makes sense.

It’s early April, a few days after she dropped “Tonight,” the lead single off her second mixtape, Fancy That, out now. “I feel great,” Pink says of the project, a creative effort self-produced along with aksel arvid, Count Baldor, phil, Oscar Scheller and The Dare. “I’m happy to get it out in the world.” The next day, Pink will film the video for “Stateside,” her favorite of the nine-track project. “I’m so excited for people to hear it,” she explains, diving into the music video. “It’s funny because the concept is actually impossible. It’s going to be trickery, but amazing.” When the video finally drops a few weeks later, Pink says online that “the brief was Abercrombie & Kitsch.” Filmed outside a JCPenney and featuring choreographed moments from pining, shirtless hunks, the Emma Berson-directed video is a perfect match for the track as Pink coos about transatlantic romance. “You could be my American hot hot boy,” she sings, winking at Estelle’s hit, “American Boy” over dance-floor distortion and interpolation of tracks by Sugarbabes and Groove Armada.

Pink co-produced “Stateside” with DJ and producer The Dare, who she — at the time — assumed was British. “I went in and I met him and he was from New York I was like, ‘Oh, that’s crazy. I really thought you were gonna be from the UK because of the picture I saw,’ And he was like, ‘No, everyone thinks that.’” The song’s creation was a “collaborative process,” Pink adds. “It was literally both of us doing 50/50.” For his part, The Dare praises Pink’s discernment in leading them to a winner. “Victoria always looks at me through one squinted eye, especially after I say or do something she feels to be of dubious quality,” he tells PAPER. “She did this the first time we met, right after I played her a few beats I had spent the night before toiling over. Upon playing her the 23rd or 24th beat, she said, ‘Delete everything except the drums.’ Then she pulled an electric guitar off the studio wall and sat down and played the opening riff to ‘Stateside.’ The rest is history.”

Twenty-four-year-old Victoria Beverley Walker was born in 2001 in Bath, a city in Somerset, England. She grew up in Kent and was attending University in London studying film when she started blending alt-pop, garage, drum and bass and jungle sounds, littering her concoctions with samples of ‘90s and 2000s tracks on GarageBand. She’d anonymously post her experiments across SoundCloud and TikTok, twisting her singular soundscapes under vulnerable lyrics, and began amassing millions of captive listeners during the pandemic who used tracks like “Break It Off” and “Just For Me” to soundtrack their content.

In October 2021, Pink released her first mixtape To Hell With It to critical acclaim and in 2022 shared her Take Me Home EP. One of its tracks, the hook-heavy, bouncy, pop call-out “Boy’s a Liar” reached No. 2 in the UK, while its remix featuring rapper Ice Spice peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though she refers to the single as “a good culture move” when asked about what seemed to be an overnight increase in fans, Pink clarifies how that wasn’t exactly the case, nodding to listeners who have been with her since early days online. “I gained a big song overnight, but there’s a big difference,” she says. “It ended up being a really good way to give Ice a platform on a song like that,” she adds. “I’m so happy that it did. It ended up being one of her first major hits, where she had a few others afterwards. Honestly, if I had to say anything, I’m just happy that it helped put her into a spotlight where the mainstream could get to her.”

Since that moment, Pink has continued her global takeover while staying true to her British roots. In November 2023, she released her debut full-length, Heaven Knows, with more polished pop production. Pink followed the release with a heavy tour schedule in 2024, opening for the likes of Olivia Rodrigo and Coldplay. But then in August, she apologized to fans and canceled those dates, sharing that she’d “reached a wall which I am struggling to penetrate through.” Still, Pink spent the next months creating, working with LE SSERAFIM on their track “Crazy,” that year nabbing the distinction of Billboard’s Producer of The Year. This past January, she was also featured on Shygirl’s “True Religion” with Isabella Lovestory. But for all the collabs, proper releases and elevated tracks, Pink’s focus — when ready to share her own music again — was returning to her roots and the raw satisfaction she felt when dropping her first mixtape.

She launched Fancy That with “Tonight” — a track sampling strings and orchestration from Panic! At the Disco’s 2008 release “Do You Know What I’m Seeing?” — as she flirts, “You want sex with me/ Come talk to me” over a hypnotizing, dance-floor beat. The release came with a Bridgerton-themed video (which fellow British pop icon Charli xcx loved). One of the marked differences between this “more mature” Fancy That era and Pink’s previous releases is her comfort level and confidence in front of the camera. Many early interviews honed in on her shyness and reluctance to share her face online — in fact, she didn’t reveal who she was to fans until August 2021, eight months after her songs went viral. But now, so much of what has drawn eyes and ears to Pink are her visuals, including her fashion aesthetic, a 2000s throwback look that has been described as “cool aunt,” “substitute teacher” and what PAPER coolest person Rian Phin has coined as “true-thousands,” referring to it being a more realist depiction of 2000s fashion.

Despite being a child when the outfits, sounds and scenes Pink references were prevalent, she was clearly soaking it all in. As she told PAPER back in 2021, “I wasn’t necessarily at my prime when these things were coming out, but I was still alive and I remember it being a cooler time, to be honest.” She’s clearly in on the bit, leaning into her penchant for wearing a handbags on stage, even tweeting a meme of herself doing a double take after filming “Stateside” with the caption: “Me on shoot day visiting my first jcpenney and realising that I actually rly did look like the in-store manager that day,” adding, “Like you guys really were onto something this whole time.”

During a surprise set in March at Brooklyn’s Lot Radio, Pink used the pop-up to tease a Basement Jaxx-infused track. The electronic duo’s music and ingenuity (Pink has referred to the pair as mentors for her) seeps into much of the album, as she admits, “There are so many Basement Jaxx samples. There’s like, literally one in nearly every song.” Pink blends the pair’s hit “Good Luck” into her track “Romeo,” giving it a rising and falling tension, as the beat bursts at the bridge with the same satisfying propulsion of a 2000s pop song. On slow-building, dance floor heater, “Nice To Know You,” she samples “Spiral” by William Orbit, which features Sugababes and Kenna. The song also sneaks in a sample from Jessica Simpson’s 2001 hit “Irresistible.” “I’m equally as confused as you,” Pink jokes about the track’s inclusion. Mixtape opener “Illegal” sees Pink singing about shame, smoking loud and being paranoid, all with a risky relationship as a backdrop. She joked in a Reddit AMA, that the glitchy tune, which samples “Dark & Long (Dark Train)” by Underworld, was a diss track to weed.

Though Pink’s tried to beat the brisk track allegations that outlined her early career, Fancy That clocks in at just over 20 minutes long. Still, it’s a bop-heavy thrill ride, showcasing a more mature side of the artist, as she sings about drugs and intimate relationships, while sonically merging nostalgia with rave dancefloor inspirations — all to build a sound that’s entirely her own.

You’ve mentioned that this is one of your most cohesive projects. What are some of the moments that led you to creating a mixtape like Fancy That?

I was able to listen to it over and over and over, and I [couldn’t decide] on my favorite piece. I suppose I’ve never had that with a project before. The most important thing was that I could feel like I was able to show a more mature side of me that didn’t feel like I was replicating older music that I’ve already had out. And making a mixtape rather than an album meant that I was able to have a bit more freedom. Being more mature on this project was really fun to step into.

Where do you think that maturity has come from? And do you see that as something that seeps into your lyricism or the way you’re approaching production?

I took a lot of inspiration from older music from the UK. It was very important that I was hearing those genres and knowing that the way that they would have been listened to back in the day would have been at raves or clubs where there was a lot of partying and a lot of “sex, drugs, rock and roll” vibes. I feel like I wanted to pay homage to that through the lyrics.

Your first release from the mixtape, “Tonight,” is doing very well. It’s going crazy on Spotify and TikTok. How has it felt having your fans react to this more mature version of you?

It’s been really fun. I don’t look too much on socials, but I thought people were going to be very like, “Oh my god, ew, no!” But people have actually been really receptive to the whole thing. And I think they’re very pleasantly surprised to hear me do that, to be honest.

Is it because they’ve grown with you, or do you think because they’ve grown with you they’re excited to see and hear this different side?

If I’m ever making any change to my very cohesive, old sound, I try and make sure my fans don’t feel like I’m doing a number on them and suddenly switching up my vibes without paying homage to my usual sound. They’ve respected my growth because they didn’t feel like I was making a song that was completely different to anything they’ve heard before by me. I paid respect to them by giving them a new sound. I’ve also tried to show growth by giving better production.

Where did the idea for the “Tonight” music video come from?

I want to say it’s because I enjoy Bridgerton, but it was actually more so because I was watching older music videos. There was one from Jamiroquai that I loved, called “King for a Day,” and I loved the song, so I wanted to watch the video. And the video was Georgian. I was like, “Fuck, this looks amazing.” I’d always thought I’d love to make a music video that was a more classic pop video, where you have sets and you have a different hairstyle than usual and a dress that looks like something you wouldn’t wear.

Why’d you decide to sample Panic! at the Disco in “Tonight”?

I literally just really loved that song. I’ve always wanted a song that samples Panic! at the Disco, so I just made it work. I was looking for an intro to throw it all together. I think that was the perfect intro because it’s such a deep cut. So for people who are aware of the sample it’s like, “Oh my God, she knows.” I like proving to people that I know stuff. That’s one of my favorite albums.

You worked with The Dare, Oscar Scheller, and a few other producers and collaborators. When it came to Fancy That, did you know those were the people you wanted to work with? Or did it evolve over time?

It’s actually so funny. I thought The Dare was British, and he knows this because I told him in the session. I wasn’t aware that he actually made music. Basically, one of my A&Rs was like, “Oh, there’s this guy that’s in town. You should do a session with him,” and I was trying to look for British producers in LA and New York. I felt like a lot of my soundscape for this project is very UK-based, so I was like, “I need to find someone who can really articulate this the way I wanted them to.” They were like, “Why don’t you do a session with him?” And I didn’t know anything about him really, but I was like, “Oh, maybe he is British and that’s why they set us up.”

So I went in and I met him, and he was from New York. I was like, “Oh, that’s crazy. I really thought you were gonna be from the UK because of the picture I saw.” And he was like, “No, everyone thinks that.” He’s the only producer on this project I haven’t worked with before, but everyone else is pretty regular people. When it comes to producers, I know what I like and I stick to people that I know that I work really well with. Oscar [Scheller], as you said and my best friend, phil [Dill Aitchison], who has produced on all three of my projects. I don’t really branch out and use any big, big names. I mean, I worked with BNYX once and Mura Masa I work with a lot.

You know him so well, you’re like, “I forget that he’s huge.”

Exactly. I mean, in their own right, they’re all doing their own thing. But what I mean is, I don’t necessarily go to the number-one charting hitmaker. I definitely prefer doing it with people I feel very comfortable with. So doing the song with The Dare was really interesting because I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. But funnily enough, we made my favorite song in the project. And it was a very collaborative process where it was literally both of us doing 50/50. It was amazing.

What about “Stateside” made it your favorite?

The fact that we made it completely together was fire. But [also] the fact that I think sonically, it’s the best.

You said making Fancy That “allowed you to talk more about yourself and embrace new levels of intimacy.” What was it about the process that made that possible?

For me, every time I go into the studio I don’t work on more than about 10 or 12 songs at once. I won’t make 15,000 demos and then try and pick from them. I’ll just make a song and know it’s going to be on the project. So every song I made I knew was going to be on the project. There was only one song I wasn’t sure on, so I ended up just making a whole new song to replace it. But I don’t work off of demos. That’s why all my unreleased stuff is on the internet somewhere. There’s really not that many unreleased songs that aren’t out. I’m very intentional.

The samples also feel intentional. I heard there’s a Jessica Simpson one. Can we dig into that?

I’m equally as confused as you. I didn’t produce that song. That was Oscar. He literally did exactly that. He put the sample in. I wasn’t aware it was a Jessica Simpson sample. I wasn’t aware there was a sample at all until he told me. And I was like, “Okay, great,” but it’s very undetectable. You can’t really tell that’s what it is. It’s definitely snuck in. As much as I do think she’s an icon over here, I wouldn’t necessarily call for Jessica Simpson, just because I try and keep my samples in line with what I’m going for. And I’d say that her sample is more Y2K whereas this project isn’t necessarily trying to give that off. It’s more meant to be a classic, regal thing, which is why I use the Panic! song. But I do still think the song sounds sick.

Basement Jaxx are also blended into the album. How did those samples come about?

There are so many Basement Jaxx samples. Literally one in nearly every song. I always feel like I need samples so that I can somehow ingest the song into my own music. Which to some might sound super selfish and bizarre and like, actually stealing vibes. But for me, I see it as: I love the song. If I can craft it into a song of mine and know for my own satisfaction that it’s in there and that I’m using something I love in a way that recycles it with the artist’s respect, then for me it feels amazing to have that be part of my project. It just so happens that I love every single Basement Jaxx song they probably ever put out. I can’t think of one that lacks for me. There were multiple songs I wanted to sample from them and they ended up being across a few songs.

Going back to what you said about wanting to work with UK producers and looking back at the rave scene in the UK — as artists reach wider audiences, they often shift into trying to mirror other people, but you’ve been adamant about keeping your allegiance to the music you grew up with. Why is that desire still at your core?

It’s as easy as wanting to share my love for the music I grew up with and was listening to. I also have a very strong desire to make my own mark in music that feels different to a lot of other people’s. I think for every musician, it’s important to build your own niche without feeling like you’re treading on anyone else’s toes, musically. I want to build my own ecosystem that feels very true to me that doesn’t bleed into other people’s worlds.

Charli XCX tweeted that she loved the video for “Tonight” and then you retweeted that with “omg just shat myself.” Would you ever want to collab with Charli in the future?

I mean, of course. If the opportunity ever comes up, I would love to. I will say it makes me shit myself when I get recognition from any artists that I respect, for sure. It doesn’t matter who, genuinely, I get so excited. When I get recognition from other artists, especially ones that I have looked up to for a long time. Even though I’ve met her, I just love getting praise and hearing praise.

You’ve got some live gigs coming up. In September you have your residency at the O2 Academy in Brixton, but you also had a set in Brooklyn recently. Our social editor, Alaska, went and said it was fab, and I know there was a horse-drawn carriage involved. What has it been like to interact with your fans and share your music live?

It’s been so much fun. My favorite part of this, obviously, is to meet everyone and have that face time with them. So for me, that’s the part. I look forward to it the most, to be honest.

For your new listeners and the fans that have been following you from the beginning, what do you hope they walk away with after they hear Fancy That?

I want them to hear growth. I want them to feel like they found their new favorite artist. I guess those are the two things I really want. I want people to feel like they found their new favorite person and their new outlet.

Photography: Reto Schmid
Styling: Max Weinstein
Makeup: Julian Stoller
Hair: Anoushka
Nails: Juan Alvear
Set design: Milena Gorum

Photo assistant: David Jaffe
Digitech: Kevin Vast
Retouching: Helen Studios
Tailor: Matthew Neff
Styling assistants: Tiwa Neo, Ambrosio Gonzales, Diego Mazzaferro
Makeup assistant: Jake Dupont
Production assistant: Kaiya Lang
Set assistants: Cameron Gonzalez-Williamson, Noelle Denton, Sarah Deaner

Editor-in-chief: Justin Moran
Managing editor: Matt Wille
Executive creative producer: Angelina Cantú
Story: Erica Campbell
Cover design: Jewel Baek
Publisher: Brian Calle

British songstress Natanya first crossed our radar through, of all things, a Janet Jackson co-sign; Jackson took to social media to share a video of the rising artist singing her internet-revived hit, “Someone To Call Your Lover.” Soon after, she received one more co-sign, this time from her forever fav, Ravyn Lenae, just as Lenae was rising on the global charts.

With two American legends behind her, Natanya was well prepared for a packed trip to the States, where she had the set goal of breaking into our hard-to-crack market. She first went to LA for sessions, meetings and listening parties of her forthcoming EP, Feline Return (out June 13th). And then she was off to New York for a whirlwind jaunt which included a show at Baby’s All Right and a performance at On The Radar.

Such a rush through the States felt fitting for Natanya. She had long identified with American artists (like Lenae) over fellow British artists. “Whenever people would ask me, ‘Who’s your tribe?’ they would always try to get me to say people from my country. But it was really hard for me because I don’t feel like I relate to them musically and aesthetically,” shares Natanya. Having grown up in an international family, raised around a stream of Gospel and Motown, Natanya was inspired by the sounds and the expansiveness of art from beyond her side of the pond. “Just because of how big America is and how much expression there is, there’s so many different sounds that come out of it. If you put your hand into a massive ball pit, you’re gonna find your color. America’s like that.” She still plays up her British-ness through her distinct visual world, a combination of the uncanniness of Tim Burton and the posh glamor of Victorian and Georgian fashion.

All of Natanya’s global influences are present on her forthcoming EP, a seven-song sprint that touts her silken, slinky vocals, dense production and lush sonic world. “Dangerous,” the EP’s second single (out today), is the EP’s brashest, working as both a provocation and a flex. “Dangerous, you think I’m Dangerous/ Is it my body?/ You want to touch me?” she sings over a bed of rolling synth chords and three-step beats, weaving in elements of trap and lush orchestral pop. Though it’s about a lover and explores themes of obsession and desire, Natanya’s guiding artistic theme is her creative and professional “hunger.” “’Dangerous’ is supposed to be this breakout feeling of ‘Oh, wow. We thought we could box this girl in, but no, she’s loud, and she’s here and she’s making a statement about who she is,’” shares Natanya. As can be seen in the video, Natanya certainly knows who she is —oozing confidence and panache.

PAPER chatted with the busy star about her trip in the states, her global inspirations and her distinct visual world.

You just did your first show in New York at Baby’s All Right, right?

I did. It was thrown by Black Pop Party. I was nervous before, because I’ve never been here, and I’m kind of disoriented, but as the night continued to go on, the room filled up and it was great. I felt like I was doing my job.

Was it mainly your fans there, or was it a new audience?

It was a mix of both, but quite dominated by the fans. I had a lot of people lining up to talk to me afterwards, which really shocked me. People were gifting me things, telling me their favorite songs. People in the crowd were singing along. I was like, “Where are you guys coming from?”

I saw you linked up with Laila!?

I did! She was in the crowd. I was confused. And then they were like, “Do you want to meet her? She’s coming to the dressing room.” I was like, “Yeah, sure.” It’s mind-bending because I never expected I would ever be in front of her. She very much reminds me of myself in terms of the way she approaches music and the fact that she’s a girl producer as well. There are not many of those. I love her, her production choices. I’m such a big fan, so it was amazing to meet her.

You’re having such a whirlwind trip with so many opportunities back to back. How are you processing it?

Honestly, I have no clue what’s going on. I’m excited that people are receiving the music well. And I’m equally happy that people are perceiving it “in New York” [sung in they key “Empire State Of Mind”] [laughs]. It just tells me that when everything’s out like, it’s going to be received the right way. It’s giving me a lot of hope for the future that I can build myself a place in the industry. There’s a space for me somewhere.

When you say that there’s a space for you. How would you describe that lane?

There are many female artists that I consider to be similar to me in the UK. Whenever people would ask me, “Who’s your tribe?” they would always try to get me to say people from my country. But it was really hard for me because I don’t feel like I relate to them musically and aesthetically. I would always say these sorts of names. There was a lot of nay saying, like, “You’re never really going to be around them, so just focus on back home.” But it’s been incredible because the exact people that I grew up listening to or that I’ve fallen in love with recently are tapping in and that space is being created. It’s a little bit isolating to do something trailblazing, or slightly different in the scene where I come from, because I think people have their preconceived notions of what you should be and where you should be.

Why do you think you connected with American artists more than British artists for your own project?

My family has always been massive fans of music globally. My parents are both really international. My mom is an Asian Trinidadian woman, and my dad is a Nigerian, Third Culture Kid. They never had a specifically British approach to music in the house. We listened to a lot of gospel like Anita Baker, Teddy Pendergrass, and Motown stuff. Just because of how big America is and how much expression there is locked in here, there’s so many different sounds that come out of it. If you put your hand into a massive ball pit, you’re gonna find your color. America’s like that, whereas in the UK, there’s a very specific margin for what constitutes music from there. What I was making doesn’t necessarily fit within the zeitgeist. I do think one day it will. At this current moment, people don’t consider this sort of music as inherently British, which is why in the aesthetics, I try to pump it up a lot and make sure that people really get the message. I’m really pastiche about it, so that people understand I’m not trying to be American.

I’m curious how you would describe your visual world, and what influences you’re bringing together?

I just love the uncanny so much. My favorite directors are Charlie Kaufman and Tim Burton. I also love to take influence from old British things like Victorian, Georgian fashion, because it’s just such a play on reality. I just love how cute and weird the outfits are. Plus old-Hollywood and pin ups, like Betty page. I just love the poshness of those outfits. I love everything to look kind of posh, but in a kind of spoofy way. It’s not serious, but it just helps give that impression that I’m from the UK.

Tell me about making “Dangerous.” I know you made the whole album in a very quick period of inspiration, but tell me a little bit about the song where it fits in the creative process for the whole record.

I made “Dangerous” just before I was going to go on tour with Destin Conrad. I had the idea in the shower. I was really inspired by [the album] Beyonce by Beyonce and all the beats on that. I just kept singing that hook. I thought it would be so cool to try something like that. I really want to give it a go. So I made a mock up demo by myself on Logic, and then when I got back from tour, I took it to the studio, and we worked on that in one day. I was able to listen to the finished demo that same night. We started it in the morning and by the evening, I had it in my headphones. I had this idea to chop and screw the song at the end, and I did that on logic when I was fiddling around afterwards. It was a pretty quick process.

“Dangerous” is supposed to be this breakout feeling of, “Oh, wow. We thought we could box this girl in, but no, she’s loud, and she’s here and she’s making a statement about who she is.” I think it’s also like exposure therapy for me, because it’s such a massive song and very brash. It just pushes me to continue to be proud and go out there, even if I’m making a lot of noise and taking up space. Just be shameless. I love it.

There’s this thread on the record about being hungry for your dreams and fighting for your dreams. This song, on the surface though, is about talking to a lover. How did you combine those ideas in this song?

There was a guy I was really in love with at the time, and he told me had a girlfriend after we went on our first date, I was like, “Okay, so that means we don’t have to speak again.” But he was just so intentional about us keeping contact and continuing this flirtatious thing. It really annoyed me, because I was like, “Wow, you can’t resist me, but you won’t be brave and make a decision for yourself.” So that was part of it when I was writing those lyrics. And then I got my first adult boyfriend. I was just so enthralled by the idea of someone being obsessed with me. The second verse touches on that more, but the production is where I’m interweaving that hunger in, because the beat is so in your face. I wanted to put that same aspect of “I’m hungry” in the music, because lyrically I’m talking about an everyday situation. But even from the moment that you hear the hook, you can’t forget it. So [that hunger] is interwoven in everything.

You’re in this period of a lot of energy and excitement around your career. How are you balancing that and having a life of your own?

I don’t feel the heat as much as I did at the beginning. I feel like this is a quieter time in my career, but it’s because I’m being taught simultaneously how to live a life, by force, just because of how much I have to travel or do things that are not specifically on my schedule. I can’t stay in my bedroom and engineer my entire career from Tiktok anymore. I realized it’s not necessarily any tape or EP that’s going to change your life. It’s a collection of everything together. I’ve had to allow myself to experience things. I have to let myself be loved by somebody. That might be something I touch on in the next project. This is a period where I’m actually learning how to live real life, because I think I’m living a normal life.

The music video for “Dangerous” is coming out on today. Is there anything from the shoot that really stood out to you?

I did two massive shoots in a day, and I had also coincidentally got the least sleep I’ve ever had in my life. So I was passing out in between takes. I was so tired, but it taught me so much resilience to push to the end and that sometimes you don’t need to always be micromanaging every small thing. Sometimes you can just let people do their job and they’ll carry you to the end. So the shoot was special to me, and the video equally, because of how much I love the song, plus I just think visually, it’s so cool. It’s very creative. It’s me letting loose a bit and not being so taught with the way that I want to communicate my visual image. I’m excited for people to see it.

Photography: Tally Francis, Tallulah FX

The Met Gala may be fashion’s Most Wonderful Time of The Year, but long after the illegal bathroom selfies (sorry Ana!) red (and this time blue) carpet photo opps, and Mark Hotel fit reveals are done, the after parties begin and the night rages on.

This year we made our fair share of stops (full recap of latenight mayhem here) but our first was at Stella McCartney and Charlotte Tilbury’s 2025 Met Gala After-Party, where our favorite American-pop, “Sally” dance-inducer Role Model was crowned DJ for the night. So after we scooped up some Tilbury from the bathroom and spotted The Dare on the rooftop during our smoke break, we went inside to shake our well-dressed hips to Tucker Pillsbury’s playlist.

Below, the rising star, hitmaker and (dare we say?) fashion trendsetter gives us a look at this night through exclusive captions and photos. Dig in!

Staring at the weather app in social situations.

Custom. Thank you Stella.

Was feeling flirty.

Like a deer in headlights.

Me, The Dare and a fan.

Was feeling serious.

Neema told me to turn my head and look at the camera.

Me acting like I got in invited to the actual Met Gala.

Ky ruining every photo of me.

Staring at Anne Hathaway.

Photography: Neema Sadeghi, Devyn Van Velthuyzen

On Monday night, J Balvin attended his third Met Gala with his partner Valentina Ferrer.

He made his Met Gala debut in 2021 in Moschino and returned in 2022 in a tuxedo by Ralph Lauren. For this year’s Met Gala theme — “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity — the Colombian singer wore a custom pink wool three-piece suit with a matching hat.

Below, J Balvin takes us along with him to the biggest night in fashion, from The Carlyle Hotel to inside the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, an exclusive photo diary.

Photography: Anthony Tudisco

The West Coast heard a faint rumbling, as hordes of chunky boots and mini-skirts went clomping from Los Angeles to Indio, California this weekend for the first week of Coachella. Seismologists say there’s little risk of aftershocks, considering the fast fashion en route aren’t fit to last for a return journey.

Thankfully, pictures last forever! And while the Instagram crowds huddled around pool floats shaped like miscellaneous branded goods, celebrities were onstage miles away in fits both thrown together and meticulously combed over by stylists. The contrast between these sets, small and large, with the festival’s image as a largely influencer-led gathering of brand activations was particularly fascinating.

As we often do at PAPER, I’ve meticulously combed over the first week’s available imagery — the festival has never kept a tighter rein on its digital image rights — for the fits worth talking about. As the Coachella step and repeats bore me to tears, I’ve instead focused on what was presented on its various stages. (With some caveats, of course.) In the shadow of the landmark “Beychella,” the production value of the various headliners and supporting acts varied widely, with Lady Gaga’s full-on arena tour-style set hitting new highs alongside Beyonce’s impact. (The keyword here being alongside, not above.)

I’ve done my best to distill these various forces in the outfits seen below. Shall we?

Charli XCX and Benito Skinner

I’d like to start here, because these two crazy kids are dressed exactly like it’s 2007, and The Hills is currently tearing apart the lives of various blonde women in Los Angeles. Some minor contrivances like the Chanel purse and the specific cut of this skirt aside, these two look like a photograph of a father and his daughter before he surprised everyone and ran off with that partner at the law firm during the second Obama administration. Kidding, of course. Everyone knew he was into men like that when he’d cut his chinos off at the knee.

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Jokes aside, Charli XCX made a real stir when she popped up at the afters in a sash poking fun at her spot in the lineup. Since nobody can take a joke anymore, and we’ve already cast mine aside for the moment, I’d like to say two quick things: First, I hope Little Miss Headliner keeps trolling for the rest of her very long career. Second, I think we need a serious inquisition into the proliferation of this specific dress shape with what can only be described as a low-rise belt.

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Lorde

In sharp contrast to the Charli XCX’s delicately manicured, free-wheeling energy, Lorde came through like a real carefree individual in slacks and a t-shirt. In conjunction with the mounting pressure around her impending return to music, it’s the most memorable fit from the weekend! I mean, she totally bucked the festival’s growing expectations for female performers during one of the most hyped sets of the weekend. Thank god!

Lady Gaga

Mother Monster’s set captured the hearts and minds of her devotees, already soft and easily malleable from the ongoing effects of her own personal mayhem. The real fashion story here, however, is not her triumphant return to the Coachella stage, or the many nods to eras past and present throughout. It’s her continued collaborations with Dilara Findikoglu, who made this dress and a variety of others for her in the modern era. What a stunner! The designer’s use of texture and distressing is a staple many have attempted to jack this past year, none to much avail, considering her mastery over draping and depth and structure.

Of course, this could have been a simple white frock, but it’s taken over the edge by her nod to the “Paparazzi” video and later, when she ties in the thematic resonance of her broken hip, an artistic journey it feels she’s just now closed the loop on.

Clairo, Addison Rae and María Zardoya of The Marías

I’d like to append this point with this trio of musicians, who all played with similar elements of the white dress to varying results. It’s perhaps the most prominent motif from the festival! Clairo opted for a deconstructed look, which brought in elements of contrasting lace and mesh and pearls and polka dots. I find it a valiant effort, but ultimately unfruitful when seen against the real thing above. (Here’s another angle.)

Addison Rae took an entirely different route with her white dress, once again playing with the “carefree weirdo” image her team are intent on crafting. Images of the dress, seen during her surprise appearance with Arca, show it flowing as she danced about the stage, tresses thrown to the wind, a grin plastered across her face. It’s hard to watch footage from the night and not feel like she’ll take us all the way there.

This final fit, courtesy of María Zardoya of The Marías, will lead us to the next set of motifs from the festival. But before then, I’d like to take a moment and soak it all in. The draping of the skirt and the plastering of the top, combined with that peek of lace and a nipped in waistline? And that big chunky wrapped necklace with a visible crucifix? Now we’re speaking the language of the Coachella valley! Come down, spirit of Courtney Love, and bless this outfit.

Ciara

Vaquera is for mothers! Print that in your fucking fashion magazines, everyone. Ciara popped up in NYC’s favorite designer, wearing about one million necklaces and the most interesting pair of skorts I’ve ever seen layered over a sporty long sleeve. I found the contrast totally fascinating! There’s clearly the desire to dress like one’s job — that being one of the 21st century’s most successful women in music, while also playing to the spirit of the festival with the denim. And it’s Vaquera at that! I mean, she practically wore this for PAPER specifically.

That said, mind what I said about the crucifixes! Where they made aesthetic sense with María’s outfit, here they power clash with both the denim and the shirt. An interesting reminder that tangled chains of pearls and crucifixes and teeny little gold chains hold the place of yesteryear’s chunky turquoise necklaces and injection molded owls and charm bracelets and chokers.

Queen Latifah

Megan Thee Stallion also brought out Queen Latifah during this set. Off the top, I loved her glam, and these dangly braids and earrings and necklace. It all has an edge I always expect from the Queen, an edge further sharpened by this puffer trench vest. Just totally, utterly fab.

Ravyn Lenae

My personal diva supreme made her Coachella debut in white and cream, continuing the trend of layered white garments across the festival. While my feelings about exposed corsets are extremely Google-able, I love how it’s been deployed here under the structured shrug jacket, expertly unzipped at the sleeves to provide that interesting silhouette. This skirt is also fab, as is her red hair and lace up boots. The whole thing is a resounding success to me, much like this most recent album and her gradual rise to pop dominance amongst the coolest people anyone knows.

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Missy Elliot

While I couldn’t find image rights to Missy’s set, I did find this singular shot of her outfit that doubled as a car. It’s an outfit that doubles as a car! I don’t think it needs further input from me, really.

Arca

I’d like to mention that it soars to extreme temperatures at Coachella. No matter, Arca here wore what seems to be head-to-toe leather. Gag it! She looks fab, especially the way that chain with the ponytail has been styled. What’s its purpose? Genuinely who knows, but I’m talking about it!

Lola Young

I’ve had to hear Lola Young’s song just about every time I’ve opened the TikTok app for what seems like years. Then the video for it made its way to Twitter, and I had to hear and see it every day there. Now she’s at Coachella, wearing this, and I’m talking about her all over again. She won, even if this is my least favorite offering from the festival’s Week One performers. It’s a well designed garment and it fits her well, clearly, but I want nothing else to do with it.

I mean, the thematic throughline of playfulness, “messiness” and a lackadaisical Gen Z attitude is obvious in Lola’s recent styling and artistic choices. These things clearly read here, from the hood to the gloves to the teddy shearling trim. It’s just that they have no effect on me, as I’m thoroughly immune to both earnest and ironic detachment, curated or sincere.

Photos via Getty Images