"Just for Me"
Two people shaking hands in a doorway next to two fire extinguishers
Single by PinkPantheress
from the album To Hell with It
Released13 August 2021 (2021-08-13)
Genre
Length1:55
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mura Masa
PinkPantheress singles chronology
"Attracted to You"
(2021)		 "Just for Me"
(2021)		 "I Must Apologise"
(2021)

"Just for Me" is a song by English singer PinkPantheress. It was produced by Mura Masa and released on 13 August 2021 through Parlophone and Elektra as the fourth single from her debut mixtape To Hell with It. Prior to being released, a snippet of the song posted to TikTok by PinkPantheress went viral on the platform. The bedroom pop, 2-step garage, and alternative pop song is a spiritual successor to PinkPantheress's song "Pain", and is written about her unhealthy obsession with a crush.

"Just for Me" received critical acclaim, and was named the best song of 2021 by The Fader, as well as one of the best songs of the year by Billboard, NPR, and Pitchfork. It peaked at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 49 on the Irish Singles Chart. A low resolution music video for the song, directed by PinkPantheress and Lauzza, was released on 9 September 2021, and depicts PinkPantheress singing to a crowd of depressed youths. "Just for Me" was sampled by Central Cee in his song "Obsessed with You", and covered by Giveon for BBC Radio 1Xtra's Live Lounge and by Coldplay for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.

Background, release, and composition

"Just for Me" was produced by British record producer Mura Masa.

"Just for Me" was inspired by the "stalkerish" theme of "Stan" by Eminem as well as PinkPantheress's desire to make a song that sounded like Craig David.[1] After writing the melody of the song, she recorded it during a four-hour-long studio session with producer Mura Masa two weeks before the song's release.[2][3] A snippet of "Just for Me" posted to TikTok in July 2021 by PinkPantheress went viral and was used in over two million videos on the platform as of October 2021.[4][5] TikTok named "Just for Me" its "breakout track of the summer" and its third top song by a British artist in 2021.[6][7]

"Just for Me" was released on 13 August 2021 through Parlophone and Elektra Records.[8] The song was added to the BBC Radio 1 playlist in August 2021.[9] British rapper Central Cee's song "Obsessed with You" heavily sampled "Just for Me".[10] In October 2021, American singer Giveon performed an acoustic soul cover of the song for BBC Radio 1Xtra's Live Lounge.[11][12] Later that month, British band Coldplay performed a slow piano-focused cover on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.[13]

"Just for Me" is a "wistful",[14] "funky", "2000s-inspired" bedroom pop,[15] 2-step garage,[16] and alternative pop[11] song produced by British record producer Mura Masa, who also programmed and played drums and keyboards on the song. It runs for slightly less than two minutes.[17] In it, PinkPantheress sings in a "soft", "android-like",[18] "helium-high" tone, over a "snappy", "nostalgia-fueled" garage beat and "delicate", "gentle"[6] guitars, about having an unhealthy obsession with a crush and going to lengths such as finding their house and sleeping with their hair under her pillow.[19][20] She described the song as the spiritual successor to her song "Pain".[21] NPR's Alex Ramos referred to the song as "uncanny, as are most stories about stalking and obsession".[22] Chris Taylor of DIY wrote that the song was reminiscent of UK garage duo Artful Dodger, while Stereogum's Chris DeVille described it as "hyperpop-leaning".[23][12]

Critical reception and commercial performance

NPR named "Just for Me" one of the best songs released in August 2021, with writer Alex Ramos writing that "Just for Me" "demonstrates [PinkPantheress's] appeal" and "lingers under the radar", adding that "you won't even notice you've had it on repeat until the next time you're sucked in again".[22] Jordan Darville of The Fader wrote that the song "transcends mere nostalgia thanks to a heap of emotion" and "has enough stomach butterflies to fill a monarch colony."[24] In a review of To Hell with It, Stereogum's Chris DeVille called "Just for Me" his favorite PinkPantheress song as of writing the review, writing that it "most clearly affirms her potential to be a paradigm-shifting figure".[18] Rob Copsey of Official Charts Company described "Just for Me" as PinkPantheress's "most radio-friendly offering yet" and praised it for its "high replayability", comparing it to "Do You Really Like It?" by garage group DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies.[21]

"Just for Me" peaked at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart, making it her highest-charting single on the chart, and at number 49 on the Irish Singles Chart.[25][26] "Just for Me" was named the best song of 2021 by The Fader.[27] Dazed named it the fifth best song of the year, and it was also listed as one of the best songs of the year by Pitchfork,[28] NME,[29] NPR,[30] Billboard,[31] Uproxx,[32] The Line of Best Fit,[33] Nylon,[34] Slant,[35] and Crack.[36]

Music video

A music video for "Just for Me" was co-directed by PinkPantheress with Lauzza and uploaded to the YouTube channel "PP_ROCKSXX" on 9 September 2021. In it, she is shown standing in front of a DJ and performing the song in front of a white background to a crowd of depressed youths wearing emo-style clothing, with occasional fisheye lens cutaways. The video has a low display resolution and includes scenes with a tarantula, a book blowing in the wind, and people using flip phones.[37][38] In the video, she also wears her hair in micro braids.[39] DIY's Chris Taylor compared the video to "an early-00s Taking Back Sunday video", while Erica Russell of Paper stated that the video has "the stark, post-Y2K flair you might expect from a Cooler Kids or Anna Nalick video of the same era".[23][40]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[41]

  • PinkPantheress – vocals, songwriting
  • Mura Masa – production, songwriting, drums, keyboards, engineering, programming
  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • Jonny Breakwell – mixing, engineering
  • Dill – additional keyboards

Charts

Chart performance for "Just for Me"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[42] 49
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[43] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[44] 27

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Just for Me"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for "Just for Me"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various 13 August 2021
Parlophone [46]
United Kingdom 27 August 2021 Contemporary hit radio [47]

References

  1. ↑ Evans, Georgia (12 October 2021). "PinkPantheress: "I always wanted to have an audience"". DIY. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Savage, Mark (6 January 2022). "PinkPantheress made hits from her bedroom - now she's won the BBC Sound Of 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  3. ↑ Kent-Smith, Jasmine (17 November 2021). "Cover story: PinkPantheress – Just a feeling". Crack. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. ↑ Zhang, Cat (29 October 2021). "The Zoomer Embrace of Drum 'n' Bass". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  5. ↑ Chaudhry, Aliya (21 October 2021). "TikTok's Latest Breakout Star Hides Her Name, but She Can't Escape Her Fame". Slate. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  6. 1 2 Press-Reynolds, Kieran (18 September 2021). "How a 20-year-old student used TikTok to become the summer's breakout pop musician". Insider. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  7. ↑ Krol, Charlotte (13 December 2021). "Ed Sheeran, PinkPantheress, Tion Wayne and Russ Millions among TikTok's top UK acts of 2021". NME. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Bloom, Madison (13 August 2021). "PinkPantheress Shares New Song "Just for Me"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Grant, Kirsty (25 August 2021). "PinkPantheress: The 'breakout' singer who's happy to be a mystery". BBC News. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Atkinson, Jessie (10 September 2021). "Central Cee samples PinkPantheress on new cut 'Obsessed With You'". Gigwise. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  11. 1 2 Paul, Larisha (12 October 2021). "Giveon Drops a Sultry Take on PinkPantheress' 'Just for Me'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  12. 1 2 DeVille, Chris (12 October 2021). "Watch Givēon Cover PinkPantheress' "Just For Me"". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  13. ↑ Rossignol, Derrick (26 October 2021). "Coldplay Covers PinkPantheress' 'Just For Me' For The BBC Live Lounge". Uproxx. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  14. ↑ Wang, Steffanee (16 September 2021). "Who Is PinkPantheress? Does It Really Matter?". Nylon. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  15. ↑ Bumidin, Qistina (23 August 2021). "NME Radio Roundup 23 August 2021: Lorde, Lizzo & Cardi B, Disclosure and more". NME. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  16. ↑ Renshaw, David (13 August 2021). "PinkPantheress drops new song "Just For Me"". The Fader. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  17. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (13 August 2021). "PinkPantheress unveils Mura Masa-produced new single "Just for me"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  18. 1 2 DeVille, Chris (11 October 2021). "The PinkPantheress Debates Have Already Begun". Stereogum. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  19. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (13 August 2021). "TikTok Wunderkind PinkPantheress Releases New Single, 'Just For Me'". Uproxx. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  20. ↑ Denise, Jazmine (13 August 2021). "Ten's "Paint Me Naked," Lizzo Feat. Cardi B, and More Best New Music". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  21. 1 2 Copsey, Rob (18 August 2021). "Who is PinkPantheress? The TikTok DIY artist breaking into the chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  22. 1 2 Pierre, Gabrielle; McKenna, Lyndsey; Ramos, Alex; Huizenga, Tom; Cruz, Reanna; Chinen, Nate (1 September 2021). "The Best Music Of August: NPR Staff Picks : All Songs Considered". NPR. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  23. 1 2 Taylor, Chris (15 October 2021). "PinkPantheress - To Hell With It". DIY. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  24. ↑ Darville, Jordan (12 October 2021). "Giveon shares cover of PinkPantheress's "Just For Me"". The Fader. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  25. ↑ Ainsley, Helen (27 August 2021). "Ed Sheeran scores ninth week at Number 1 with Bad Habits". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  26. ↑ White, Jack (20 August 2021). "Bad Habits become Ed Sheeran's longest-reigning Irish Number 1 single in four years". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  27. ↑ Robert Ross, Alex; Darville, Jordan; Renshaw, David; Maicki, Salvatore; Paul, Larisha; Isama, Antoinette; Raw, Son; Villa, Lucas; Richards, Janiel; D'Souza, Shaad; Elder, Sajae; Bourne, Nkosi; Helfand, Raphael; Joyce, Colin. "The 100 best songs of 2021". The Fader. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  28. ↑ Fernández, Stefanie (6 December 2021). "The 100 Best Songs of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  29. ↑ "The 50 best songs of 2021". NME. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  30. ↑ "NPR Music's 100 Best Songs of 2021 (40-21)". NPR. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  31. ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2021: Staff List". Billboard. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  32. ↑ "The Best Songs Of 2021". Uproxx. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  33. ↑ "The Best Songs of 2021 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  34. ↑ "Nylon Editors Share Their Favorite Songs Of 2021". Nylon. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  35. ↑ "The 50 Best Songs of 2021". Slant. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  36. ↑ "The Top 25 Tracks of the Year". Crack. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  37. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (14 September 2021). "PinkPantheress Hosts A Subdued Live Show In Her 'Just For Me' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  38. ↑ Darville, Jordan (10 September 2021). "pinkpantheress shares "just for me" video". The Fader. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  39. ↑ Mamo, Heran (15 October 2021). "Viral U.K. Pop Sensation PinkPantheress Talks Debut Mixtape 'To Hell With It,' Reinventing Classics and Writing Short". Billboard. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  40. ↑ Russell, Erica (16 November 2021). "PinkPantheress Is 2021's Most Bewitching Breakout". Paper. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  41. ↑ "Just for Me / PinkPantheress". Tidal. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  42. ↑ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  43. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  44. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  45. ↑ "British single certifications – PinkPantheress – Just for Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  46. ↑ "Just for me by PinkPantheress". Retrieved 11 September 2021 – via Apple Music.
  47. ↑ "Radio 1 Playlist". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
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