Many fans of Tinashe will argue that she is underrated, slept on even. Looking back at her debut track ‘2 On’ released in 2014, it would be hard to disagree. Peaking at number 24 on the billboard charts, the song reached certified platinum status. Featuring SchoolboyQ, and released alongside an attention drawing music video ‘2 On’ set expectations that it seems Tinashe herself cannot maintain. Holding some of the industry’s greatest names in her collective portfolio, Tinashe has some of the sharpest tools to enable her to continue her 2014 sky rocket to fame. Tracks produced by Boi1da, DJ Mustard and Ryan Hemsworth, features alongside A$AP Rocky, Future, and Chris Brown and yet her name is not one that consistently resonates with global audiences. Her vocals arousing and alluring, her dance ability unimpeachable does Tinashe fall short of her true potential, or was ‘2 On’ merely a fluke win?
Let’s take her discography for what it is at face value; repetitive. With the exception of a few tracks ('All My Friends' ft. Chance the Rapper, 'Flame' ft. Future, '2 On' ft. Schoolboy Q), the lyrics maintain Tinashe’s stance on relationships, her life in general and the opinion of others. With some artists we express discontent when the message changes, why deviate from the recipe that your audiences enjoy the fruits of? However in Tinashe’s circumstance there is a clear lack of growth in her mindset, regardless of the fact she has managed to release mediocre songs for the past 4 years or so.
'2 On' grabbed the attention of some of the brightest stars in the industry, but that same mix of fun-loving pop and athletic routines will not continue to do so. Have those behind her immediate success given up on her? Happy to let her success dry out as quickly as her relationships with Chris Brown (Brown released a statement expressing discontent with her professional attitude, or lack thereof), her record label RCA should be focusing efforts on developing her song writing skills, rather than her tailgating onto the names of her featured artists. The vision is there with Tinashe, it feels like she knows where she wants to be, seen very briefly in her cover of Drake’s ‘Days in the East’ but she doesn’t know how to get there.
We want more from the artist, an array of subjects focused on within her tracks. Think of SZA, Jorja Smith etc. Their variance is astounding, providing insight into their minds unlike so many others. This is what we require from artists of today, rather than the lacklustre superficial Tinashe we’ve been placated with for the past 4 years.
