Quantum Baby

To put it in terms that quantum physicist Erwin Schrödinger can understand, Tinashe has finally arrived and has always been here. Over the course of the last few albums, the singer-songwriter has morphed into a self-taught producer, mixer and general stalwart outside the major label system. Tinashe hasn't appealed to mainstream audiences in years, instead cultivating a broad artistic vision and an IYKYK ethos that has made her stand out in an industry obsessed with conformity. The rocket was launched by the summer conquest of “Nasty,” a lip-smacking, winking, spine-tingling song — everyone's freaking out about something, whether it's sex toys or anti-colonial literature. — her elastic seventh album is a good marker for those drawn to the California bomb's supple, kinetic sound.

Quantum Baby is a lean and muscular eight-song encore of 2023 BB/Ang3l confirmed by the insistence of manicured fingernails hitting a hard surface: There are things to do and people to escape. Opener “No Simulation” is a languid quasi-ballad that quickly announces itself as Brandy-inspired, thanks to Tinashe's dynamic vocal stacking. “These days I wanna feel it, no simulation/It's got to be real,” he croons. It sounds like she's looking for true love—but then again, Tinashe is a comedic and quirky storyteller (she's her only Two and a half men always landed) and when he commits to “going deeper” he can give clearer instructions.

“Lack of sleep” is a song heard through the windows, stereo. Tinashe confessed that she was working on her music while behind the wheel and it's easy to imagine driving through LA with this sweetly amorous beat on repeat, getting a feel for how it accelerates and fades. It's for the club and the street, aided by an insistent bass line and deftly placed rhythmic loops that glide deftly into the killer “Thirsty.” Even though her vocals are surrounded by hi-hats and synths, dripping with innuendo, they sound stripped down and bare. She's confident and capable, hovering over an undulating register: “Don't play, don't hurt me/Tryna make you so thirsty/I know you want me in the worst way/Make it like it's my birthday.”

It helps that Tinashe makes thirst look cool, never desperate. Everyone is connected, and the singer wants the fight to be sure and clear, the mundane opposite of a low-effort “hey” in DMs. He continues his search for pleasure on “When I Get You Alone,” making notable callbacks to “Janet Jackson”I'm getting lonely»: Both songs are devoted to beat drop and the patience that love requires. “No Broke Boys” and “Red Flags” tap into personal frustrations calibrated to proliferate shady IG captions. The sparse writing sometimes lags as it revisits trodden themes – not deep enough to jog any memories. It is just the edge of what could actually be experienced. (A Flo Milli feature might have injected some much-needed whimsy.)

After starting out as an independent artist three albums ago, Tinashe has less and less to prove. As easy as it is to understand the appeal of “Nasty” (it's “catchy” and “memeable,” Tinashe said), there are two reasons it became her first solo Billboard hit and highest-charting single since “2 On,” his 2014-up anthem series with Schoolboy Q. The first is a 20s hit on the TikTok lottery, bringing her to a bigger audience without having to spend a dime. The second is that “Nasty” just happens to be Tinashe's platonically great song: Easy and exquisite, a no-departure progression.