BB/Ang3l
tinashe
2023
After giving it six tries, Tinashe has finally found her form of getting straight to the point so that she doesn’t make a misstep on wax.
R&B/Glitch house
BY HARPSICHORD
OCTOBER 7, 2023
On October 6– just a month after the release of Tinashe’s sixth studio album BB/ANG3L– the stan news account on X [formerly known as Twitter] called Pop Base shared the “For Your Consideration” ad that the singer will be using for her Grammys campaign. On the flier, she’s hoping to get an Album of the Year and Best Progressive R&B Album nomination, while the second single, “Needs,” is being entered in multiple song categories in the R&B genre. While it’s hard to see an independent artist who released her project only a week before the 2024 deadline get the coveted AOTY, she’s deserving of a nod for Best Progressive R&B Album. It’s a category that has eluded her at least twice, after the stellar moments provided on 2019’s Songs for You and 2021’s 333.
Tinashe has been in a cycle of manifestation lately. After leaving her major label RCA behind, she’s been able to craft her albums on her own terms– without the politics. And as a result, she’s been able to get back into the mix-tape form that preceded her 2014 debut, Aquarius– which in hindsight was a choppy album that didn’t represent her best. A lot of music listeners have followed the sentiments of Chris Brown, a controversial figure that her label forced her to collaborate with while misguiding her music direction back in 2015. Recently in an interview with Zach Sang she expressed that she didn’t think that move was smart because the record they were on was intended for pop audiences– a base Chris Brown has mostly alienated. Back when the drama became public, Chris Brown snarked “Who Is She?” on an Instagram rant.
So who is Tinashe? On BB/ANG3L she shows that Tinashe will continue to do it her way. Just when you thought you could put her in a box, she becomes out of pocket. She becomes spacey and atmospheric. That is represented on the fifth track, “Gravity,” which hits upon her outer space dimensions. “Gravity” occupies liquid drum and bass, with an overarching UK garage tick-tick fueling that bass. She coo’s in her signature falsetto, optimistically discussing how “the world is getting bright” because of a twin flame that she “keep[s] falling into.” It picks up from the energy of “Unconditional,” a deep cut that appeared on her previous studio album, 333. The song is produced by glitch-hop American producer, Machinedrum, who has notably done R&B-fusion work with the likes of Dawn Richard.
Machinedrum also lends his expertise to the opener, “Treason,” which twinkles with a ringing xylophone at the beginning. The song haunts with a smokey mystique, reminiscent of the work of the Imogen Heap-fronted duo, Frou Frou on their 2002 LP, Details. The ending of “Treason” has deep horned whistle blows that recall the British band’s “Old Piano.” The urgency of Tinashe’s vocal delivery not only creates a scene from the jump, but also models after the dramatics of k-pop musicians.
Speaking of k-pop, Tinashe fans have spent the last few years highlighting how k-pop artists seemed to be inspired by the American. They have drawn up similarities in music videos and even her sonic direction. Just Google “Tinashe K Pop” and you’re bound to stumble across an article such as “Tinashe: The K-pop Industry’s Ultimate Crush.” So what did Tinashe do on this project? Steal her template back in order to inspire some more. The three visuals of the LP are as minimalistic as possible, exuding the simplicity of the music. The artist is intentionally becoming a blank palette once again so the industry isn’t as on to her next move.
Songs like “Talk To Me Nice” broods in deep house, while “Uh Huh” recalls her sensual side that best shined on her R&B driven 2012 mix-tape, Reverie. “Uh Huh” balances contemporary R&B as Tinashe accesses her falsetto and delivers a slang-worthy ad-lib that would eventually become the song’s title. “None of My Business” shines for its matter of factness as Tinashe sings “all you do is tell me lies.” In less than 20-minutes, like a k-pop LP, the singer accomplishes the journey of bringing dimension to only seven tracks.
Underneath all of that is still a quest to receive mainstream pop acclaim. “Needs” is the standout single. While “Uh Huh” is raw and meant for a more distinguished, matured audience, “Needs” is playful. “My body’s like a buffet,” as she curses and plays around with altered vocals that inhabit the current trend of quiet storm meets psychedelic trap. BB/ANG3L acts much like a ‘shrooms trip in the late of the night. It indeed is progressing R&B into what’s coming next.
Once again, who is she? Tinashe: The one pacing herself ahead of the curve, waiting for her lurkers to catch up.
“Needs” for being a catchy blend of R&B and pop that shows Tinashe can still make music that can buzz on radio.
“Uh Huh” for evoking the sentiments of her earlier mix-tape work that got her noticed in the first place.
“Gravity” for embracing the fusion of electronic music that R&B needs in order to be mature and out the box.
Key Tracks
While the project is only seven tracks long, every song hits. It’s an album that can be played on a loop. As Tinashe has recently turned 30, she’s exemplified how someone who endured much industry troubles in her previous decade can in fact find a way to do it on her own terms. There’s nothing unnecessary about it. If only it were a little longer.