Tinashe Kachingwe, better known as simply Tinashe, has over a decade of experience in the music industry. New fans might have discovered her from the viral hit “Nasty”, but her discography is full of hidden gems.
On her latest album, “Quantum Baby”, Tinashe goes deeper, exploring the new and the familiar with handcrafted melodies and thoughtful production. From the start, she’s smooth, transparent, and frankly, nasty.
The first track, “No Simulation”, allows a world, Tinashe’s world, to form slowly at the edges of the listener’s mind. It’s so distinctly her, and she accomplishes this projection of her vision with such grace because she knows what she wants as demonstrated in her viral hit and throughout her discography. She’s confident in her abilities as an artist, enough to ask herself, “What’s next?” Some highlights in No Simulation include the bass and her velvet vocals. Stars may or may not have started forming behind my eyes.
“Getting No Sleep” is weightless; Tinashe is fun, sexy, and purposeful. As Tinashe and Zane Lowe remarked in their Apple Music interview, there’s space. They were referencing the fourth track in the album, “Red Flags”, but the idea of space and leaving space open with purposefully minimal production, permeates through the album. In the same interview, Tinashe mentions creating a universe, a world for listeners to sink their teeth into.
By “Thirsty”, we’re only going deeper, both in terms of innuendo and the darker, heady elements that Tinashe submerges you in. Her voice, overlayed on hi-hats, strong ambient synths, and glitching, scratchy sounds only add to this feeling.
Suddenly, Tinashe leaves you floating, suspended in “Red Flags”. The track features only her vocals and ambient noise. “Cross That Line” reels us back slowly, with a deep, heavy bass line. I get the feeling that something is unfurling, blossoming.
After that, she lays down her cards. “When I Get You Alone” is a song that says just enough to stir up the imagination, the real eroticism in its production. “No Broke Boys” contrasts this, a fun and sexy mood maker with a shouty chorus perfect for karaoke.
Finally, we end on “Nasty”. It’s familiar, teasing, and smooth yet intricate in its simplicity, like all of Tinashe’s tracks. She reels you in with broad strokes of her voice and when you really listen, and pay attention to those carefully crafted details, you understand why she’s getting her well-deserved flowers.
In past interviews, Tinashe admitted regretfully that she hasn’t found someone to “match her freak,” but clearly, she’s realized her desires through music. There’s something to be said about seeing yourself for who you are and what you want and then using that knowledge to live your life as authentically as possible. “Quantum Baby” is only the second in a trilogy of albums where Tinashe has pledged to “go deeper”. I can’t wait to see what she does next.