Who is PinkPantheress? BBC Radio 1’s Sound Of 2022 winner in profile, Just For Me singer’s real name and age

Musicians don’t need a record deal and the UK Charts to make it big in 2022, as highlighted by singing sensation Pink Pantheress.

While she goes by her stage name, there are some details about the young woman who began making tracks in her bedroom and is now winning accolades for her talented vocals and lyrics.

On 6 January, she was named BBC Radio 1’s Sounds of 2022 winner and her career is set to take off as she continues to grow in popularity across several social media platforms.

So, who is she and what songs has she released? This is what you need to know.

Who is PinkPantheress?

PinkPatheress is reportedly from Bath and has British and Kenyan heritage, according to Last.fm.

Born in 2001, PinkPantheress is just 20 years old and has already amassed a huge TikTok following.

She has 1.1Million followers and 8.3 million likes on her content, which includes short videos about and including her latest music releases.

The singer-songwriter told her followers that her favourite artist of all time was My Chemical Romance, however she likes any music from R&B to KPop.

However, she recently told Vice that her favourite artists from the 90s and noughties are Lily Allen or Imogen Heap and described them as  “Legendary women”.

At 15-year-old, she decided she wanted to pursue music after watching Paramore at Reading Festival.

While pursuing her dream, she worked at the Co-op as a cashier and sales assistant while helping her friend, R&B singer MaZz, to write and produce her work.

PinkPantheress currently lives in London and studies film, where she began working on her own music in her dorm room.

In January 2021, her single "Pain" went viral on TikTok and peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart, leading the way for her breakout single "Break It Off" and she was subsequently signed to Parlophone Records and Elektra Records.

By August, she had two songs in the Top 40, and Coldplay covered her single, Just For Me, in Radio 1’s Live Lounge.

The BBC named her Sound of 2022, an accolade given to the singer thought to be the biggest newcomer in the year ahead.

Previous winners include Adele and Stormzy.

What is PinkPantheress’ real name?

Her real name has yet to be confirmed, adding to the intrigue surrounding her.

She previously revealed the name PinkPatheress caught on when her songs went viral on TikTok, for which she uses the name PinkPantheress.

Asked if she was afraid of people knowing her real identity, as she keeps her face hidden in several of her videos, she told Vice: “I’m not necessarily afraid…I’m avoiding stress and preconceptions.”

What music has she released?

Her songs rarely last for more than two minutes but have twice charted in the UK Top 40.

Following the success of Pain, she released her debut record in October 2021, titled ‘o Hell With It’.

The lyrics of many of her tracks surround heartbreak, disappointment and obsession.

Asked about her music, she told the BBC: "I just get really tired of singing the same melody again and again.

"By the time I’ve finished one melody, I’m like, ‘OK, I can do better,’ so then I move on to another one and another one.

"But every time I write a song, I think it’s going to be three minutes - then I see the length and it’s always, like, one minute!

"So it’s not something I consciously do but it just ends up being the case. I don’t think it necessarily is a bad thing."

What did she say about winning the BBC Sound of 2022 award?

"I’m honestly gassed, my dad’s going to be so happy!” PinkPantheress said when the winner was announced.

"I had self-belief from the beginning but when other people start telling you stuff like this, it genuinely keeps you going."

The winner is voted for by 130 industry experts, including Elton John and Ed Sheeran.

"I fell in love with PinkPantheress’ boldness and playfulness with sound,"Radio 1’s Clara Amfo said of her work.  "It takes a certain type of vim to play around with classic records and make them sound fresh and captivating and she does that with aplomb."