“We are with God” is what the name Tinashe means to the Shona people of Zimbabwe, and mix that ancient descent with a splash of Danish, Norwegian, and Lithuanian - and what you get is Tinashe Kachingwe - the singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and former model - who at 23 years young is still a global superstar in the making. Tinashe is the full package and with a few mainstream hits already to her name (‘2 On’ from her debut album Aquarius was played all around the world and went Platinum - and a little known fact is that back in 2007 she provided the voice to the main female protagonist in the Tom Hanks film The Polar Express) and since that time her stock has risen each and every year. She can act, she can sing, she can move, Tinashe can essentially do it all, and therefore it should be only a matter of time before she gives the likes of Beyonce & Rihanna company - all dependent on if she can get the right records to accentuate her beauty and talent.
Aquarius was modestly received yet was far from a blockbuster success, yet two years later she’s back with her sophomore titled Nightride - which apparently will be the first part of another soon to be released project titled Joyride - yet by itself it’s definitely a solid body of work that continues to push Tinashe’s young career in the right direction.
Nightride is critiqued track by track below:
Lucid Dreaming
“If there's one thing I've learned, it's that it's up to me, if it's my life then nobody gonna tell me how to live it, they can't see the way I see it through my eyes, see nobody gonna know just what they're missing” Written by Tinashe herself (let’s give it up to Tinashe for writing her music when 99% her contemporaries don’t), this one is a smooth intro with a cool vibe that sets the tone for what sounds like the best album of her career.
C’est La Vie
“Finally feeling free for the night, I got no worries, finally got a claim on my life, baby, c'est la vie, I got plenty trees for the flight, think I'll stay a while, I think I'll stay a while, ah, baby, stay with me” Tinashe is not only a dime but she’s cool as shit… her vibe is definitely marketable and she’s got the talent to stay around for a long time. This record is 👌
Sunburn
“I'm seeing pink 'cause I've been looking at the brightside, I ain't letting nobody cloud up all my blue sky” This is smooth but I can’t say that it’s heat… it’s not trash but it’s not that good either… a debatable SKIP
Binaural Test
“MmmmMmmmMmmm” 14 second interlude, that’s not appealing to listen to at all
Sacrifice
“Second round, can you last tonight?, spin me round and leave it inside, e-e-extra loud, every time we play, watch me dance around all over your face” Not at all to sound disrespectful but this one might be Ciara-Lite… only cause Ciara’s got multiple records in this lane that are a lil better than this… but produced by Metro Boomin I’m not mad at this one and cause it’s Tinashe I’m all for it… now we need to see the video! 👀👀
Company
“I just need some company, company…” Written and produced by The Dream (who also collaborated with Tinashe for ‘Superlove’) this one was the first promo record from the album that - despite having a nice bounce with good energy - ultimately falls flat as a generic radio single - yet even still it was definitely good enough to do numbers, as well as to get the video treatment with the fire choreography
Soul Glitch
“Why you turn me to a monster? Why you faded at my concerts? Why don't you just let me love you? Make me feel like I'm the one” Written and produced by Tinashe herself along with Dpat, this is album filler… wouldn’t recommend this…
You Don’t Know Me
“Your perception of me so untrue, what can I do?” Produced by Sango & Dpat this one apparently has some of Tinashe’s vocals in reverse? Hmm… that’s kind of interesting… but this is still just a decent album cut at best
Spacetime
“Underneath the sapphire sky, lost a little piece of my mind, caught up in the moment, I'm floating somewhere off in spacetime” Another one written by Tinashe herself, and with lyrics like this it’s clear that she thinks like a real artist - where this time she gets production from Steven Spencer and it seems to finally be the record that she was goin for on tracks 7 & 8, as this is pure flames and should be officially added to the ‘Best of Tinashe’
High Speed Chase
“High speed chase like I'm looking for something” Produced by Tinashe’s little brother under the name King Kachingwe, this is the second interlude off the album and it’s actually an enjoyable listen
Ride Of Your Life
“Might change your life, still doing that shit that might change your life…” Produced by Metro Boomin this one was actually released last February (simultaneously with her Complex cover 👀👀 ) and this does have a nice bounce to it even though it’s inevitably missing something.
Party Favors
“I’ve been tripping, high off blue dream, breathe into me, you know, Inhale, exhale, I'm so dizzy, they can't see me, I'm gone” This one was actually released a year prior with a feature from Young Thug, yet now it’s Tinashe all by herself with heavyweight production from Boi-1da, Vinylz, Allen Ritter, & Illangelo - making it overall a good promo single and a decent cut all around.
You Can Stay Here Tonight
The 3rd and final interlude, nothing to it
Touch Pass
“You got a touch pass, come through, you know my heart, I trust you” Produced by Wolf Cousins this is one of the better records on here and it definitely plays to Tinashe’s strengths, another one we need a video for! 👀👀
Ghetto Boy
“Nobody’s gonna hurt you, nobody’s gonna do this for you” Tinashe saves her best for last, as the smoothest turn off Nightride is what she herself calls a Romeo & Juliet type of record, and with the music provided by British producer Devonte Hynes this one is nothing but heat 🔥🔥🔥 this is the one I’ve been waiting for, as while Tinashe has had good music and good albums (not classics, but good) on the low for the last few years now, to date this is perhaps the most notable song of her career.
In conclusion Nightride is not the perfect album but it’s pretty damn good, and thanks to records like ‘Spacetime,’ ‘Party Favors,’ ‘Touch Pass’ and most notably ‘Ghetto Boy’, Nightride plays like the perfect prelude for the upcoming Joyride, which will likely be another power move that moves Tinashe further up the ranks. Overall she’s a wonderful talent that’s destined for superstardom, and this was another step in the right direction.