October 6, 2024
Sampling has been a cornerstone of modern music production, allowing producers to reimagine and breathe new life into old tracks. Whether you're producing hip-hop, EDM, or any genre, knowing how to...
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When selecting EQ and compressor plugins, musicians and producers look for more than just a shiny interface or brand recognition. It's all about how these tools perform in real-world scenarios...
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Drum sounds form the backbone of many music genres, and while sample packs are popular, designing your own drum sounds from scratch can elevate your production to a whole new level. Crafting custom...
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In modern music production, one of the most common challenges is the clash of frequencies between instruments. For example, bass guitars and drum kits often compete for space in the lower end of...
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Studio One by PreSonus is an incredibly powerful DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that offers a variety of tools to streamline your music production workflow. However, like many DAWs, getting the...
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Crash cymbals often get buried in the mix, especially when using complex miking techniques like Glyn Johns, which balances close mics with overheads. While re-recording with higher cymbals may be a...
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GarageBand is often seen as an entry-level DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), but it has powerful tools that, when used effectively, can create professional-quality tracks. Many indie musicians and...
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When working with MIDI in Ableton, one might notice that although MIDI clips can send program changes, most of Ableton's native plugins don’t seem to respond to these changes effectively. This can...
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One of the most common challenges for songwriters is deciding whether to write the music or lyrics first. This can feel like a "chicken-or-egg" situation, but there's no one-size-fits-all answer...
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Releasing a new single or album is a huge milestone for any musician. However, without proper planning, your work may not get the attention it deserves. It’s not just about putting the song online...
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When it comes to music production, getting the low end right can be tricky. Many producers face a common issue: after the initial mix sounds perfect, a few days later, the low end starts to feel...
Read morePinkPantheress has once again cracked the code of Gen Z’s collective brain chemistry with her track Illegal. It’s short, it’s addictive, and it’s the kind of song that makes you feel like you’re doing something slightly wrong just by streaming it on repeat at 3 a.m. She’s basically serving us auditory contraband, and honestly? We’re all guilty of being repeat offenders.
Illegal feels like sneaking out past curfew, but instead of your mom catching you, it’s your Spotify Wrapped judging you for having it at #1 with 2,347 plays. PinkPantheress whispers her verses like she’s spilling secrets in the back of a high school cafeteria, then throws you into a hook that makes your brain feel like it just unlocked a cheat code. The production is her signature mix of nostalgic Y2K breakbeats and bedroom-pop softness, the kind of sound that makes you want to speedwalk through a train station in slow motion.
This song isn’t just trendy, it’s basically illegal not to vibe with it. TikTok has already turned Illegal into a meme factory: edits of people doing the most mundane crimes like “illegally parallel parking” or “illegally texting my ex at 2 a.m.” are soundtracked perfectly by the beat. It’s the anthem for everything low-stakes rebellious, like eating snacks before dinner or ghosting a situationship you never wanted in the first place.
What makes it different is how it balances drama with playfulness. PinkPantheress isn’t just singing about forbidden love or bad decisions; she’s romanticizing the tiny acts of chaos that make life feel cinematic. It’s not Bonnie & Clyde, it’s more like Bonnie & Clyde but the iPad kid version.
Part of the genius of Illegal is how it taps into that Gen Z energy of making everything a bit unserious. The lyrics sound like confessions, but the beat makes it feel like a vibe check. You’re left half questioning your own life choices and half thinking, “yeah, maybe being a little toxic is fine if it sounds this good.”
It’s trendy because it feels like it was made for the internet era, quick, hooky, and endlessly loopable. You can literally play it 10 times back-to-back and not even notice because it melts into your day like background chaos.
PinkPantheress didn’t just drop Illegal, she dropped the soundtrack to Gen Z’s collective mischief. It’s flirty, it’s rebellious, it’s the audio equivalent of sneaking candy into a movie theater. And like all forbidden things, the more you play it, the more addictive it gets.
She’s proved once again that nobody does short-form, diary-entry anthems like her. Illegal might not get you arrested, but it’ll definitely have you guilty of pressing repeat until your phone battery gives up.