Tinashe – 2026
★★★★☆
I’ve always had a somewhat difficult relationship with Alternative R&B as a genre. Like all other genres, it has its highs, namely Sampha, FKA twigs, etc. That said, it’s often difficult for an artist following this sound to truly stand out due to the oversaturation of the genre. Tinashe is above this. Popstar is smooth, refined, and sewn together almost seamlessly through its delicate transitions and tasteful interludes that make it feel like one big song with endless nooks and crannies.
Popstar constantly teeters between mellow Alt-R&B tracks and club-oriented dance hits, doing just enough to keep you on your feet without tiring you out for the rest of the album. Many of the dance tracks have very taken apart instrumentals, namely ‘Sunglasses’ (featuring Arca’s lovely production), and ‘Melatonin.’ Even the more somber ballads such as ‘Flashbacks’ and ‘I’d Rather Be Alone’ have that same sharp percussion and vocal chops.
‘Melatonin’ is the clear standout of the album. This is what pop hits are meant to feel like, ceaselessly danceable and practically designed to be played in every club in the country. The production is a masterclass, gifted to us by Nightfeelings, the producer behind Kim Petras’s ‘Pop Sound’ and Rebecca Black’s ‘Hot Wet Delirious,’ pushing his production run this year even further as it seems he’s found some sort of secret formula to pop music. If you don’t feel euphoric listening to this, I don’t know what to tell you.
The album ends on a bit of a low note, with ‘Popstar’ being a fairly standard song for Tinashe and the three tracks following it safely being some of the weaker moments on the album. ‘Brainrot’ offers some unique vocals but doesn’t deviate much otherwise. ‘Cloud 9’ builds up to something strong but its brevity doesn’t let it fully reach its crescendo, abruptly transitioning into ‘Heavy Weight,’ which does its job in closing the album, but not much else. Regardless, a low point on Popstar could easily be a career highlight for some of her contemporaries.
I wouldn’t blame someone for being hesitant to approach this album, most of the songs are under three minutes, including ‘Brainrot,’ a song title that is enough to turn some more picky people off the album right off the bat. This is nothing new for Tinashe though, with her last two albums both running under twenty-five minutes total. It’s clear that Tinashe has already mastered the art of snappy and quick albums, she’s just taking it to a larger scale now.
Favorite Track(s): Melatonin, I’d Rather Be Alone, Pillow Fight
Written by Michéal Doran
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