PinkPantheress has admitted that she worried about how her looks would affect her career.
The British singer-songwriter, whose real name is Victoria Walker, has admitted that earlier in her career, she preferred to keep a low profile and avoid showing her face publicly.
In a conversation with fellow singer Clairo for Interview Magazine, PinkPantheress explained that her concerns were rooted in how audiences might perceive her music in relation to her image.
“I never wanted to show my face because I didn’t want it to affect how my music was received,” she said. “Not even because of pretty privilege. It was more like, ‘What if they don’t like how I look? What if they think it doesn’t match up with what they’re listening to?'”
The Boy’s a Liar hitmaker went on to acknowledge that her appearance has had a mixed impact on her career.
“I think the way I look has actually affected people’s willingness to listen to me,” she explained. “It’s helped me a lot, but it’s maybe made people not want to listen to me as well.”
The 24-year-old added that she has since become more comfortable with being in the public eye, though she still values a sense of mystery.
“I’m way more outside now, I’m more open with my opinions, but there’s part of me that wishes I didn’t do a lot of these things,” she stated. “Maybe it would’ve stunted my career, but sometimes I value mystique over everything else.”
“It’s really beautiful to be someone who hides and then appears when a musical moment happens,” the Stateside singer continued. “Like Kate Bush. She’s one of my inspos as well.”
