2022 marked itself as a legendary year in the musical landscape where old and new artists came out with their magnum opuses and experimented in different genres. While Kendrick Lamar dropped a therapeutic and introspective album titled “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”, upcoming rapper Jack Harlow released his second studio album featuring prolific artists such as Pharell Williams and Lil Wayne. As Beyoncé and Adele woke up from their hibernations and released critically-acclaimed projects, new artists like GloRilla made headlines for her infectious flows and bravado. However, in the midst of the shifting music industry, two artists rose to fame in unlikely ways. Through 2021 and 2022, PinkPantheress became known for her quick and hyper pop music, while Ice Spice turned heads with her use of the word munch.   

Born and raised in the boroughs of New York City, Ice Spice started her career as an artist rapping over heavy 808s and bizarre samples of popular EDM songs. As she constantly collaborated with the Bronx-raised producer RIOTUSA, her songs consisted of lyrics describing past relationships while intertwining her bars with New York slang. Her music videos also garnered a respectable amount of views, but she never held her moment in the spotlight until WorldStarHipHop premiered her talents on their YouTube channel. 

The opening lyrics of “Munch (Feelin’ U)” took the world by storm as it quickly transformed into viral TikTok sounds and earned a spot on the “Bubbling Under Hot 100” Billboard charts. Alongside the several memes that sprouted from Ice Spice’s memorable lyrics to people comparing her haircut to Cabbage Patch Kids, haters also took it upon themselves to leave satirical comments on her viral video, stating that she carried hidden talents that she should hide with various fire emojis. Despite the claims of her existing as a one-hit wonder, Ice Spice does not look like she will leave the limelight anytime soon. With her recent EP “Like..?” accumulating 14,500 first-week sales and collaborating with popular hip-hop stars such as Lil Tjay, she made a name for herself within the hip-hop industry and will continue to garner attention.

“Ice Spice’s rise to stardom has been anything but regular. She started out as a meme and received a lot of hate from people who weren’t her target audience. But as time has progressed and more people have discovered her music, her following and support have increased exponentially. She’s already being named the ‘Princess of Rap’ and has gotten recognition from legendary artists like Drake, all in less than a year,” senior Cynthia Kamau said. 

The music of PinkPantheress has transformed into an immovable force within the world of music. Born in the United Kingdom, PinkPantheress always held aspirations for curating music. In her early teens, she covered My Chemical Romance songs and started making songs on GarageBand at the age of 17. Yet, her aspirations of becoming a professional artist faltered due to her finding little success when posting her songs to SoundCloud. This resulted in her posting her songs on TikTok, and this proved itself as a decision that would change the course of her life.

PinkPantheress’ songs usually follow a formula of 1-to-2-minute tracks layered with soft vocals and soothing production. For any other social media platform, her music would remain unseen. However, with TikTok’s demand for short viral sounds, her songs became perfect for replayability and it helped build a fanbase for her flawless assortment of sounds. Songs such as “Pain” and “Break it off” became immensely popular on the platform and she received a massive amount of streams due to the short duration of the tracks. As she also rose in popularity, her influence in the music industry remains undeniable as she collaborated with prominent artists such as WILLOW, KAYTRANADA, and Baby Keem.

“I love how her beats are so catchy and consistent in every song without it ever sounding repetitive. I don’t know for sure, but I think PinkPantheress really has a unique touch which might also encourage other people to make music like her,” senior Aqib Mohammed said. 

Although these prominent artists create anthems and viral songs for different genres, Ice Spice and PinkPantheress share common threads when it comes to their success in music. Both artists used TikTok as a massive backbone to their careers and received cosigns by major artists. They also possess charismatic personalities and fuel their artistry into composing spectacular music. On paper, their collaboration does not make any sense and only sounds like a recipe for disaster. However, they composed a vibrant remix with surprising chemistry.

As of February 3, 2023,  “Boy’s a liar Pt.2” dropped on all streaming services alongside a music video with creative cinematography. Ice Spice’s lyrics and delivery synchronize flawlessly with the upbeat production and showcase her ability to rap over digital-sounding instrumentals to drill beats layered with 808s. The comments of her latest music video contrast the satirical jokes under her “Munch (Feelin’ U)” video and music critics such as Anthony Fantano and Pitchfork have provided the artists with nothing but appreciation. As these artists branch out into different genres and rise in popularity, the music industry deserves their attention and they rightfully earned their spot in the limelight.

“Her recent collaboration with PinkPantheress can be described with one word. Iconic. They are two of the hottest artists out right now and while their music styles are very contrasting, they work so well together. Best US and UK collaboration I’ve seen in a while,” Kamau said.