Aliyah Otchere
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson continue to prove they’re two of the smartest popstars out there with the new music video for their collaborative version of Pink’s track “Stateside.” The video places each of them as a mannequin in their very own shop window inspired by their recent project: the Fancy That mixtape for Pink and the Midnight Sun album for Larsson. They ultimately join forces for what will live on as one of the most stylish parties of 2026, celebrating each of their artistic identities through souvenirs being sold in each shop, coordinated outfits, and decor that draws you right into the worlds of their music.
Those immersive worlds are exactly what make the “Stateside” video one that’s already taking over the internet, to the point where some fans are even comparing it to the golden era of music videos and editing MTV logos onto short clips. Pink and Larsson have crafted standout brands that surround and supplement their work with attractive, well-considered visuals that match the moods they want to deliver to listeners. In an age when the “clean girl” aesthetic is taking over FYPs and social media users are a swipe away from never seeing you on their feed again, the artists who make the biggest impact will be the ones who know how to curate their image and command attention.
Strong branding choices like Charli XCX’s bright brat green, Olivia Rodrigo’s nostalgic face stickers, and Sabrina Carpenter’s heart cutout bodysuits have helped take artists from cult classics to crucial parts of our cultural zeitgeist. Interestingly, these stylistic signatures sometimes emerge over a decade into an artist’s career, bringing them to a higher echelon of recognition after years of hard work and gaining clarity – Charli XCX dropped brat 11 years after securing her first Billboard Hot 100 placement with her feature on Icona Pop’s “I Love It,” while Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 Coachella performance cemented her as a true force 10 years after she released her debut single, “Can’t Blame A Girl For Trying.”
Towards the beginning of 2025, PinkPantheress told Fashion Magazine that tartan patterns would be her “visual motto” for the year, and they became one of the driving aesthetic elements of her Fancy That mixtape rollout just a few months later. Similar plaids have been an English style staple for centuries, hailing from Scotland, clothing Queen Victoria in the 1800s, and since inspiring fashion houses like Vivienne Westwood and Burberry for both rebellious and refined looks. The Fancy That era has embraced that balance of rebellion and refinement, anchoring Pink’s slick, future-thinking sound with samples dating back to the ‘90s, and its modernity with visuals cemented in classic English culture – see the telephone booth on the mixtape cover art and the Big Ben cutout on an alternate vinyl cover.
She explained during a Triple J interview, “One thing I’ve been very specific on is having plaid… a kind of tartan aesthetic. I like having a uniform to celebrate each era of music. So this is the tartan era for me. At my shows, I’m gonna ask my fans to wear tartan. I’ve been trying to have some level of cohesion.”
Tartan appears throughout the Fancy That visuals, including as a flashing background in the “Illegal” music video and through costume choices in the “Tonight” video.
Zara Larsson has been in the spotlight since winning Talang Sverige, the Swedish version of the America’s Got Talent franchise, in 2008. She gained fans around the world through breakout songs like “Lush Life,” “Never Forget You,” and “Wow,” but her true moment of proper recognition has been in her latest Midnight Sun era. It’s during this time that she opened for Tate McRae’s U.S. Miss Possessive Tour and often went viral when fans posted clips of her performances, something she addresses on the “Stateside” remix: “Who knew opening up would make me a headline?”
Larsson’s recent resurgence came on the heels of a 2024 meme pairing her Clean Bandit collab “Symphony” with cheerful dolphin cartoons layered under dismal messages. She recalled to Vogue, “I thought, damn, I love it. How can I incorporate it into my world? It actually really inspired the album moodboard—animated animals, rainbows. Nature but silly.”
Like PinkPantheress, Larsson also drew from her home country when it came time to plan her album aesthetic. “I was really inspired by Swedish folklore when I started writing this album – images of nymphs with long blond hair staring into blue lakes,” she told Vogue. “Then I added aesthetics of my own: glittery, colorful, fashion vibes. I’m always inspired by Swedish pop — it sounds polished and fun, but we’re also crying on the dance floors.” The result is a shimmering world that feels like a marriage between Barbie and Lisa Frank, who actually worked on a special Midnight Sun CD variant, rooted in just as much modern relatability as it is in nostalgia and fairytale-worthy excitement.
A music video as bold as “Stateside” wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful, or maybe even possible, if PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson hadn’t curated such strong brands around their Fancy That and Midnight Sun projects. Part of that is thanks to director Charlotte Rutherford – who worked with both women on several shoots leading up to their collaboration, giving her a unique knowledge of the worlds surrounding both projects – but it takes a village and a strong visionary artist at the center to create a cultural moment like this.
The idea of presenting their respective images as storefronts demonstrates their understanding of the way social media (which has aided both artists with their rise) has become a new form of “window shopping” for consumers. Strolling each floor of the mall has turned into scrolling until our thumbs are sore, with a lot less treasure and a lot more random junk. Rich visuals are one way musicians can hook a casual viewer to take another look and listen before passing by… or stopping in for more.
Both girls know that the dazzle’s in the details, so they packed in plenty of blink-and-you-miss-it nods to each other’s work. For example, one shot of Larsson wearing Pink’s signature plaid on a postcard sets her inside a room from the “Tonight” music video, also directed by Rutherford. They wear white tank tops airbrushed with a hibiscus flower calling back to the one on the Midnight Sun cover. As self-nods, Pink wears plaid lips done by makeup artist Julian Stoller, while Larsson rocks a bedazzled eye look by Sophia Sinot, similar to the performance makeup looks she’s gone viral for.
Having consistent visual anchors, like Pink’s tartan pattern and Larsson’s neon dolphins, is a strength that has helped them each grow beyond being musicians and toward being magnetic musical powerhouses. They know who they are, the energy they bring to fans’ playlists, and that they deserve the recognition their branding will get them. As Larsson put it to W Magazine, “My dream is to have people dressing up as me for Halloween. I want my brand identity to be so strong that there is a look or silhouette that people see and think, ‘That’s Zara Larsson.’”
Addison Rae told Rolling Stone that conceptual moodboards helped her land her record deal with Columbia Records before she had any new music to present, then she brought moodboards to her collaborators while working on her debut Addison album. Young adults are fantasizing about the days when Lana Del Rey ruled their Tumblr feeds with retro glam, cherry cola, and cigarettes. Halsey reignited her 2015 BADLANDS era with a tenth anniversary celebration that included a series of music videos returning to the desolate neon imagery of the original era.
We’re in a moment of time when if you don’t hook someone, they can keep moving down their feed and get hooked by a completely different artist who truly drew them in. In the music industry and beyond, building your own world for people to get lost in is what will separate emerging talents lost in the noise from the people who make a real splash with their work, stateside and around the world.
By Madison Murray
Featured Image: Aliyah Otchere
