“Is somebody gonna match my freak?” has become more than just a clever opening lyric to one of 2024’s sexiest singles, ‘Nasty‘ by Tinashe.
With the latest single from her upcoming expansion on 2023’s BB/ANG3L taking TikTok and Spotify to new heights, Tinashe’s star is having a resurgence. Pulling from legends like Janet Jackson (see: “How Many Times” and “Nashe if u nasty“) while slicing up her own path, T’s decade-long explosion is finally coming to a head.
It is time to revisit the tracks that prove Tinashe’s brilliance is true to this, not new to this.
Company
“I don’t need the loving / So don’t make this something / See I’m nothing like a girlfriend / I’m not like someone I’m supposed to be” is “Is somebody gonna match my freak?”’s older, more complicated cousin. This single from Tinashe’s 2016 sophomore album, Nightride. Written and produced by The-Dream, Tinashe repeats “I just need some company, company” over the most sensual robotic signals and synths. With a chopped-and-screwed outro, Tinashe’s experimentation with sound takes a turn.
Die a Little Bit featuring Ms. Banks
“Drink. Smoke. Dance. Vibe a Little Bit. / F-ck. Change. Ride. Die a Little Bit.” she proclaims over a club-ready beat. The first single from 2019’s ‘Songs For You,’ the pop star’s first venture out of her RCA contract, proved just how forward-thinking and unmatched her artistry is. It is just the kind of song that makes you want to grab a fence post and pretend it is a stripper pole. Ms Banks brings a strut-worthy assist in the second verse with the determination of only a real party girl.
Just a Taste
This sexy proclamation flips Tony! Toni! Toné!’s 1993 R&B classic ‘Anniversary.’ Tinashe’s update preserves TTT’s sensual temptation but instead of long term loving, T sings to a lover who is too tentative for her liking.
“If you’re with it, say that you’re with it / Don’t know why you’re acting so timid,” she taunts over the thumping drum pad. This track from Tinashe’s 2013 mixtape Black Water precedes her debut major-label release Aquarius, showcasing her keen ear for crafting a sensual groove.
Perfect Crime
Opening a track with “Quick: What’s better than me?” carries a sheer brilliance that only an artist like Tinashe could assert. This banger details a devastating reaction to heartbreak over the slinkiest, grooviest production from Wax Motif & Styalz Fuego. “I just wanna shake my ass in the moonlight,” she begs after mixing any and every substance she can find to numb the pain.
If you can’t acknowledge “Perfect Crime” as one of the best pop songs of the 2010s, there are several walls you can argue with.
I Can See The Future
“Timid,” Tinashe has never been. Over a trap beat and suspenseful strings, uses her manifestation powers to bring her lover to her level. “If you’re with it, don’t’ waste my time” calls back to her ‘Just a Taste’ roots, establishing her certainty and determination to her lover. With quick-witted lyrics like “Kitty in your mouth / Got your tongue-tongue,” this track seamlessly grooves into the rest of the project. 333 itself feels like an encompassing of Tinashe’s discography that spans over a decade, but “I Can See The Future” clearly brings this all into… well… the future.
How Many Times (featuring Future)
Tinashe continues her honoring of R&B icons with this from her 2014 debut, Aquarius. Pulling heavily from idol Janet Jackson’s 1986 “Funny How Time Flies,” modernizes the track, leaning deeper into the “fun” Jackson sings of between moans and giggles. Only a year older than Jackson was at the time of Control‘s release, 2014 Tinashe asserts her sexuality in honor of and inspired by Jackson. With the drill rap bridge from Future, not only is this track a sign of the 2014 times but also a jam that oozes with T’s unstoppable sexuality.
Gravity
Tinashe takes R&B experimentation to new heights on “Gravity.” With her endearing vulnerability finally cracked open, Tinashe attempts to draw her lover into her reach over production that feels like a run through airy uncertainty. Switching from the airy, delicate relay of the chorus to more hasty, sing-rap verses, the siren lures the listener into the bouncy beat. “Gravity” gives the listener something to thump your chest to while your limbs float about.
Honorable Mentions
Rascal (Superstar)
Sexy promotional single written solely by Tinashe, released between 2019’s Songs for You and 2021’s 333 that features operatic and dark synths over sexy trap beats.
The Chase
Heartbreaking, steadfast anthemic ballad that would sound like a throwaway track for a lesser star.
Save Room For Us
Yet another track that slathers soul-crushing lyrics over buoyant vocals and funky synths.
