Girl Like Me (PinkPantheress song)

The song has been described as a modern take on early 2000s dance music, combining fast-paced, "jittery" UK garage^[3] and production inspired by drum and bass with "soft, almost whispering vocals" and lyrics on the subject of "modern romantic confusion".^[5][6] The song features a sample from the Basement Jaxx song "Always Be There", while the song's hook builds on the line "Let it all go" from their song "Romeo".^[7][8] In an interview with Mixmag, PinkPantheress cited "Romeo" as a personal favourite.^{[9][nb 1]}

[Basement Jaxx] were very pivotal in my learning. I went in there to make beats and songs with them, but I ended up leaving by just seeing their creative process and style and picking their brains... I ended up sampling them.

An early version of the song could be heard in a video posted on PinkPantheress's official TikTok account on 13 July 2024.^[10] Prior to the release of Fancy That, the song was part of a DJ mix by Apocalypse Liao with PinkPantheress on The Lot Radio on 28 March 2025.^[11]

Writing for Pitchfork, Harry Tafoya described "Girl Like Me" as a "roaring speed garage banger".^[2] Ashley Rophina of Clash described the song as "dancefloor euphoria laced with heartbreak".^[12] Paul Simpson of AllMusic also praised the song's club music potential, calling it "particularly Ibiza-friendly".^[13] Andrew Braithwaite of Music Talkers wrote that "Girl Like Me" showcases PinkPantheress's ability to "turn short, intimate tracks into streaming hits".^[5] Karly Quadros of Paste was more critical of PinkPantheress's sampling-heavy production style, writing that "the singalong of 'let it all go' feels a little clunkier the second time around."^[14]

"Girl Like Me" became a fan favourite after the release of Fancy That.^[3][5] The song earned over 1 million streams in the United States during the week of 10 April 2026. That number climbed to 1.69 million two weeks later after being released as a single, and to 2.85 million in the week of 8 May 2026, after the release of its music video.^[15] The song made its debut at number 81 on the UK singles chart the following week.^[16] "Girl Like Me" also became viral on Instagram, with over 12,000 reels using the song as background music.^[15][17]

The music video for "Girl Like Me" was directed by Laurie Lotus with creative direction by LAUZZA. The video was released on 8 May 2026 to mark one year since the release of Fancy That.^[18] It was shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio and partly filmed in Los Angeles,^[19] with cameos by British television presenter and long-time Big Brother host Davina McCall.^[20][21] Visual effects supervisor Michos shared a proof-of-concept from March 2026 of the "world split" effect used throughout the video,^[22] which centres on a "street setting of nondescript houses and London bus stops" in a "surreal, rhythm-driven world".^[18][5] PinkPantheress stated on Instagram that the video was inspired by the Rhythm Heaven video game series.^[23]

A set composed of multi-coloured boxes shown in the video has drawn comparisons to the music video for "One Room Disco" by the Japanese pop band Perfume.^[24] A similar set of coloured boxes was previously used during PinkPantheress's television debut on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 30 July 2025, where she performed a medley of "Illegal", "Girl Like Me" and "Tonight".^[25]

Ella Dorn from the New Statesman wrote that the music video evokes imagery of a "pre-Brexit utopia, with a sense of cultural flourishing and central patriotic spirit that was arguably last on display during the 2012 Olympics."^[24][26]

7" vinyl single – US (Record Store Day, Limited Edition)^[27]

1. "Girl Like Me" – 2:24
2. "Girl Like Me" (featuring Oklou) – 2:42
3. "Girl Like Me" (remix by Kaytranada) – 2:24