Album Review | Tinashe : Aquarius

Tinashe is a star in the making with a hit single under her belt already and a second single dropping last month. She has proved she can sing and dance and she certainly looks every inch the superstar but does she have the great music to go with it.
Her debut album, Aquarius, is released this week and has created a big buzz around the web already with many calling it one of the best albums of the year. A massive statement for a singer who has only just reached her twenties and has yet to score a number 1.
So here is my opinion on the 18 track album, without including the interludes (although they are not completely irrelevant and annoying like other people's)...

1. Aquarius

The title-track and album opener so there is a lot riding on this song, and it doesn't disappoint. Tinashe delivers sultry vocals, a heavy bass and a sexy rhythm and lyrics making it the perfect r'n'b jam. She successfully establishes an individual sound for herself in a competitive and heavily saturated female market.

2. Bet feat. Dev Hynes

Tinashe continues with this eerie r'n'b slow jam sound that is very similar to Tinashe's mixtape songs. The production on the chorus is really strong and innovative and truly stands out amongst the often repetitive music being played on the radio today.
The outro to the song includes a guitar solo which adds a beautiful musicality to the album that separates Tinashe from her fellow female artists.

3. Cold Sweat

Another sultry vocal from Tinashe which hasn't gotten tired yet. Even though each song is very similar in production and content, it is executed so well that it doesn't really matter. It seems authentic and, as I said before, really establishes individuality for this new female artist.

Outro, once again, takes a different turn keeping the intrigue on this five minute long track.

4. 2 On feat. Schoolboy Q

The popular debut single is still a catchy club hit and fits in quite nicely at this point in the album as the pace changes from soft and subtle to more uptempo and heavy-hitting.
It is a great song destined for mainstream success and offers Tinashe a chance to showcase her fun, party side and bring some energy and dance routines to stage, performance-wise.

5. How Many Times feat. Future

Yet another song with sexual lyrics, it is fast becoming Tinashe's go to subject which is understandable since she is a very attractive young lady and her vocals sit perfectly between sultry and soulful so it feels comfortable. I am admittedly not a fan of Future's flow on his verse, it is far too aggressive and does not fit with the song at all. It almost became comedic to here him shout 'tun up, tun up' after the beautiful and soft vocals from Tinashe.

6. Pretend feat. A$AP Rocky

Unlike the last feature, A$AP makes a very welcome appearance on this track. This song is an album favourite of mine - I love the heartfelt and relatable lyrics, the trippy production and the stunning vocal from Tinashe.
I think I fell it love with it more after seeing the video last week and really understanding the lyrics a lot more.

7. All Hands on Deck

Another change of pace and a short break from the sensual slow jams with this 2 On part 2 style track. All Hands on Deck is a fun dance track but nothing too exciting and it gets quite old quickly. A very forgettable track when wedged between some real great pieces of work.

8. Far Side of the Moon

This really reminds me of Jhene Aiko, which I am sure is a comparison Tinashe will hear a lot of after this album is released. Vocally, she sounds really different on this song but still brilliant and the production is just stellar on this particular song.

I love the melody of the chorus, the metaphor in the lyrics and the overall product that has been created, this comes in a very close second as my favourite song on the album.

9. Feels Like Vegas

A solid mid-tempo track that you are likely to hear at a high-end strip club, which is a compliment and says a lot about the melody of the song. One of the few songs on the album that could be another hit single because of its mainstream vibe without losing the authenticity of Tinashe as an artist.

10. Thug Cry

A Mike.Will.Made.It production, and after the success he has had these past couple of years, expectations for this song are high. Unfortunately it fell short. I wouldn't say it's a terrible song but, with the bar so high on this album, it doesn't quite live up to what else has been delivered up until this point.
It has grown on me since my first listen but there is still something missing from it that doesn't make it quite as memorable or captivating as the rest of the album.

11. Bated Breath

I feel like this is the first ballad on the album because it shares a vulnerability and honesty that makes Tinashe even more likeable. There are some really powerful and promising vocal moments from Tinashe proving that she may be no Beyonce or Ariana Grande but she can certainly sing.

12. Wildfire

As the closing number on the album, I hoped Tinashe would opt to go out with a bang seeing as though the majority of her album is mid-tempo, mellow yet production heavy. A fun dance number would have been perfect but Tinashe, instead, chose Wildfire, a mediocre pop song with no conclusive or memorable moment. 

It is never clever to end your album so lacklustre especially when it has been ridiculously strong up until this point. Although it is worth mentioning the closing 30 seconds were a nice addition. 

Overall, the album is amazing by the standards of other debut female r'n'b vocalists and in comparison to most r'n'b music being put out today regardless of gender. Early Tinashe fans will be very pleased that this album stays true the artist that T established herself as on her mixtapes and doesn't cross over too much into the commercial, dance sound that she experimented with on 2 On.
I was pleasantly surprised with almost every song on Aquarius and this could be the start of a very successful career for Tinashe if she continues along this sensual and slick R'n'B path.

Rating: 4/5