With the rise of names like Raye, Victoria Monet and Sabrina Carpenter, the 2020s have proven to be fertile ground for popstar breakthroughs that have been a long time coming. Enter Tinashe who returned to the charts this year with the flirtatious pop-R&B hit “Nasty”, her first beneficiary of the powers of TikTok virality. While not a display of the sonic experimentations through which she’s achieved sustained acclaim over the last decade, the song is an excellent display of Tinashe’s popstar skillset. As a dancer and vocalist, she is uniquely skilled at bringing her work to life, and as a songwriter she is an expert at crafting hooks that walk the line between catchy and interesting. Tinashe was always primed for a moment in the spotlight.
Quantum Baby, the record that follows, is an unsubtle yet not dull attempt at capitalizing on that moment. Second single “Getting No Sleep” pairs an energized beat with a subdued performance to create the kind of tension characteristic of Tinashe’s best work. The combo of “Red Flags” and “Cross That Line” is the most reminiscent of her best work, as the former brings in a spare, atmospheric instrumental and a mellow performance from the artist, all seemingly transitioning into the soft Jersey Club groove of the latter. It’s a great example of Tinashe’s ability to marry the catchy and the off-kilter.
More than any project, however, especially since the singer’s turn to independent releases, Quantum Baby leans into the catchy. “When I Get You Alone” pairs a driving beat with Tinashe at her most effortlessly cool, while the energetic “No Broke Boys” gives Tinashe her big pop sing-along chorus. In her most hook-laden project to date, these are the clearest attempt at regaining the “Nasty” spotlight.
Quantum Baby isn’t Tinashe’s masterpiece, but it is a record that excellently displays both why she deserves to be taken seriously and why the mainstream is better off for her presence within it. New fans get a wonderful introduction to a fascinating discography, and existing fans get a project that will leave them both pleased and eagerly awaiting the next move of a star that can seemingly do it all.
