Tink has been a hidden gem on the R&B scene since the 2014 release of her cult classic “Treat Me Like Somebody.” The song appeared on her project Winter’s Diary 2, the second mixtape in her Winter’s Diary series that debuted in 2012. The Chicago-bred songstress blends hip-hop and R&B seamlessly throughout her catalog but especially on her Winter’s Diary mixtapes. With her latest installment in the series, Winter’s Diary 5, she continues to tell the story of a young woman trying to find love through raw, realistic lyrics and sensual, sultry sounds.
For the first half of the album, Tink is on a lover girl vibe. Songs like “Stressin’” and singles “Huh,” “Charged Up” and “Songs About U,” which features Summer Walker and has both ladies singing about longing for a love interest, are all perfect for a breakup playlist. When it’s time for a little makeup sex, though, she has the soundtrack for that, too, with the explicit cut “Bless Me Don’t Stress Me.”
Tink enters savage mode on “Hit A Lick” featuring NoCap and “Playa” with Skilla Baby. On these tracks she leans into the similarities in hip-hop and R&B, which she does very well. Play these songs as you’re getting ready to go out with friends or add them to your workout playlist, and you’re guaranteed to start feeling yourself.
The songs that truly tell the most captivating stories on Winter’s Diary 5 are “Make It Make Sense” and “Insane.” The lyrics feel exactly like a diary entry (the writing on paper sound effect at the beginning of “Make It Make Sense” really sets the mood) and are probably relatable for many who have dealt with similar problems in their love lives.
Tink even includes nods to classic R&B songs on the collection. She interpolates SWV’s “Weak” on “Grip Tight,” while on “Jealous” she interpolates “Birthday Sex” by Jeremih, a long-time collaborator who is also featured on the album on “Past Those Interlude.”
Another cool detail about this project is Tink’s use of audio from trending videos. At the end of “Stressin’,” she includes a clip from a TikTok by Natalie Clarice, a popular dating advice creator with over 10 million views. Later on “Make It Make Sense,” a viral sound from TikTok user @camesha_l is used. She asks, “So you mean to tell me...you saw me, liked me, wanted me, chased me, got me and then you fumbled me? What?” before Tink begins singing again.
The 16-track album ends with “Pretty Girls,” an anthem for women to love themselves more than they love the toxic man they’re dealing with. It’s affirming and cautionary all at once — the perfect way to close out an album and the story that Tink has just told.
On Winter’s Diary 5, Tink not only shows her range but also her dedication to her craft and to R&B as a whole. The songwriting, features, familiarity of the interpolations — these are all elements that make up a solid R&B project. Tink has the vocals, the look, the discography and the consistency to go the distance as an independent artist. With this new album, she’s continuing to prove herself and take the R&B world by storm.
- Advertisement -Stream Winter’s Diary 5 below, and be sure to catch Tink on Jhené Aiko’s The Magic Hour Tour.
Tink Winter’s Diary 5 [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
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