Tinashe has been making a name for herself since her mixtape era in the early 2010s. She got her first taste of mainstream success in 2014 with her debut album Aquarius, which featured her hit single “2 On.” However, after releasing three albums on RCA Records, she returned to her independent roots in 2019. She’s been on a relentless grind ever since, and it paid off this summer with her smash single “Nasty.” The song brought Nashe back to the charts as a viral TikTok challenge popularized the raunchy yet catchy tune. “Nasty” peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her first chart entry in eight years and her highest charting solo single. She follows up the breakout track with her newest album Quantum Baby, where the singer gives listeners a closer look at the nuances that make her unique.
“I think I really demonstrate with this kind of music all of the different ways that I don’t fit into a box, and I kind of wanted to embody that,” she explained in a recent interview with Billboard.
Quantum Baby, a continuation of her 2023 album BB/ANG3L and the second part of a trilogy, has eight tracks for every different mood. The set begins with “No Simulation,” a tune about wanting more out of life than just fabricated feelings. Nashe’s echo-y, layered background vocals can be heard throughout the song. “Lessons I’ve learned and all the knowledge and experience that I’ve accumulated has led me to the question of what’s next. And I think the answer is just to go deeper,” she says at the end of the song, which sets the stage for the rest of the album.
Next up is the electronic R&B fusion of the second single “Getting No Sleep” produced by Nosaj Thing along with the opening track. This isn’t the first time the singer and producer have collabed, as he previously worked with Tinashe on “Talk To Me Nice” from BB/ANG3L.
Tinashe is no stranger to experimenting with genre, and this is a common theme throughout Quantum Baby. On “Thirsty” she merges ambient, R&B and hip-hop. She sounds angelic singing the cut’s naughty lyrics in a juxtaposition that makes a great recipe for replay value.
“Red Flags” is a more stripped-down track about a lover who seems to be a walking red flag, hence the title. It’s just Tinashe’s voice, backgrounds and a synth loop, which is both calming and unsettling at once. “Cross That Line” comes next, and she seems to sing about a lover that she wants to get deeper with – this could be a call to the same love interest in “Red Flags” or possibly a different one. Nonetheless, the songs flow perfectly into each other. This track also blends R&B with electronica as the beat is almost impossible not to move to.
“When I Get You Alone” features more sensual vibes as the songstress yearns for her lover. She gravitates back towards her higher register, almost as if she’s floating on the track, showing off her vocal ability. Tinashe switches her voice and delivery into a more straightforward tone than its cutesy, chill vibe at the beginning as she sings, “It ain’t rocket science / I ain’t even gotta ask / If you miss my body.”
Nashe keeps talking her ish on the party jam “No Broke Boys.” The track is a fun anthem that is perfect to add to your playlist for a night out on the town with your girls. Tinashe lets her ex know she’s unbothered, as she chants on the hook, “No broke boys / No new friends / I’m that pressure, give me my tens.” Tinashe saves the best for last and closes the set with the sensation that is “Nasty,” ending the album with an exclamation mark.
- Advertisement -Though Tinashe has been in the game for over a decade, success is even sweeter the second time around for the singer who is doing it her way. With a fresh, genre-defying sound, she’s shown with Quantum Baby that there are sides to her artistry that we haven’t yet seen, and she has so much left to give.
Tinashe Quantum Baby [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
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