Tinashe is known for her unapologetic experimenting. On her beloved mixtapes – like 2012’s ‘In Case We Die’ – and 2014 debut album ‘Aquarius’, she built up her own world of atmospheric, dark and woozy sounds. Against the influx of soulful singers like Elle Varner and Frank Ocean, she stood out as a breath of fresh air while pushing the genre’s boundaries. Unfortunately, that refreshing spirit had dwindled by the time her third album ‘Joyride’ was released.
Since becoming independent back in 2019, she’s tried to elevate pop music while keeping that escapist charm – and she seemed to find the formula on the TikTok-friendly ‘Nasty’. With multiple sinfully addictive lines, like “Is somebody gonna match my freak?”, it became one of the songs of the summer and propelled Tinashe back into the limelight.
However, ‘Quantum Baby’ – an eight-track LP that mostly sends you on a ride through a misty world of humming synths and indelible melodies – just misses the mark. The record starts off with ‘No Simulation’ – a minimalistic-yet-grandiose introduction that soothes the soul, draws you into a world full of lofty, hedonistic love songs, and finds Tinashe “looking for truth” over whirling synths. The airy and floaty notes take inspiration from her last release, 2023’s ‘BB/ANG3L’, which ‘Quantum Baby’ is something of a sequel to – both records show off her love for romantic narratives over echoed harmonies and zooming synths.
Later, she ventures into understated electro-pop while returning to her escapist style with tracks like ‘Getting No Sleep’ – a sleek ode to nocturnal escapades. ‘Thirsty’ showcases her breathy vocals, leaving her partner “so thirsty” for her, while ‘Red Flags’ and ‘Cross That Line’ maintain a hypnotic vibe, the latter energised by a Jersey Club bassline. On first listen, these songs struggle to capture the addictive spark of ‘Nasty’. There is some reward the more you listen, but Tinashe’s laidback delivery can become too one-tone, and ‘Quantum Baby’ loses momentum as a consequence.
Tinashe tries to pick up the pace with ‘When I Get You Alone’ and ‘No Broke Boys’ – but they’re laced with generic pop tropes. ‘When I Get You Alone’ is meant to be a sultry number, but the blaring trap 808s drown out Tinashe’s soft register. The girl-power anthem ‘No Broke Boys’’s marimba chimes, hollowed vocals and copy-and-paste trap percussion are dated too, feeling like a song more suitable for her time in the bubblegum pop band The Stunners than 2024.
The best part of the project comes via the interlude at the end of ‘When I Get You Alone’. As the bongo drums roll in, the silky tones of an electric guitar put you in a state of sweet satisfaction while Tinashe boasts about her body: “It ain’t rocket science / I don’t need to ask / If you miss my body.” As great as the moment is, it’s also frustratingly too short.
‘Quantum Baby’ proves that the playfulness of ‘Nasty’ wasn’t a one-time thing, packed with moments that feel as cheeky and lovesick as her comeback track. Songs like ‘No Simulation’ and ‘Red Flags’ bring back her ethereal, brooding signature sound, too, while others serve as little pick-me-ups for when you need to switch on. But, this record doesn’t weld these two sides of Tinashe successfully. There’s still a way to go before she finds her sweet spot, but this is a fun stepping stone along the way.
