Pigtails signify plenty. A girl in pigtails is, above all, youthful: it’s a style associated with school kids, bratty little sisters, and those who’ve never quite said goodbye to their adolescent urgency. But pigtails also mean patience. In order to wear them, you’ve got to take the time and care to braid them properly. You’ve also got to have the diligence to grow out your locks to a sufficient length — those who are too anxious with the scissors are prohibited from rocking them. The next time you see a girl with pigtails, you ought to give her some respect.
And the next time, friends, is right now. Pigtails is so closely identified with her hairstyle that she’s taken it as a handle, and it fits perfectly. She’s got the energy of a kid and the focus of a young woman determined to follow her desires — even if she gets into trouble. But she’s also thoroughly committed to her craft, and her sharply-written pop-rock songs suggest that she knows how to put that dedication into practice. “In My Head” is a bracing introduction to a new artist who has already achieved the equilibrium of a veteran: tough but vulnerable, aggressive but tuneful, upbeat but thoughtful when necessary, demanding but awfully appealing.
She’s also handy with a melodic hook, and she knows how to generate unforgettable choruses. “In My Head” draws from many sources, including pop-punk, contemporary radio smashes, hard-edged and snotty ’80s rock, glam, soundtrack music, and the chiptune sounds of vintage coin-operated arcade games. But the accompaniment never overwhelms the sentiment. When it’s time to sell the refrain, Pigtails gets right in your face and in your ear and makes sure you’re wide awake, paying attention, and singing and dancing along.
So naturally, she’s the focus of the magnetizing clip for “In My Head.” She’s the star, the video-game avatar, the site of interest and mystery, the fire-starter and smooth-talker, all at once. Director and mentor Nuno Bettencourt shoots her in a tunnel-like room with a sealed door at the back: she’s on the move, but not fast enough for her liking. Pigtails sits at the steering wheel of a machine and grabs the levers like the pilot of a renegade plane; she toys with a stuffed meerkat and sips her tea, reads a self-help book, and swings around rubber hammers. Most of all, she whips her hair, and every time she does, she makes it clear that she means business.
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