Tinashe’s POPSTAR 16 Tracks Ranked
There is an ongoing war brewing in pop music, and Tinashe is currently leading the charge on the front lines.
As the 2020s unfold, the landscape of female pop stardom has been dominated by two distinct archetypes: the confessional, guitar-toting singer-songwriters, and the sleazy, debaucherous party girls who sought liberation through sex and drugs. This division often leaves little room for Black female artists whose music is foundational to the genre, rather than simply mining it for muted samples.
For decades, the debate over who can rightfully claim the title of “popstar” has raged. This discussion touches on history, starting with controversial figures who deemed established stars simply ‘Whitey,’ and continuing through modern social media discourse over labeling and perception. Eight albums in, Tinashe is now addressing this conversation head-on.
Her latest offering, Popstar, arrived on September 25th, marking a significant entry in a catalog that has quietly shaped global pop music for the last decade. Tinashe’s journey to the top has been marked by transformative hits; her 2016 music video for “Superlove” became a touchstone for late-2010s K-Pop visuals, and the aesthetic of her 2019 Songs for You era established a new benchmark for early-2020s pop releases.
During her previous Quantum Baby era, Tinashe successfully turned impact into mainstream success. Tracks like “Nasty” rode a viral dance trend to a No. 61 peak, while “No Broke Boys” soared to No. 36 on a remix that dominated EDM clubs and festivals.
Now, with Popstar, she delivered a project that contends with stunted understandings of what pop music can sound, look, and feel like. The album’s artwork, featuring Tinashe gazing into the distance with headphones on, draws attention precisely because it is decidedly non-glamorous. It is a portrait of a star who has been grinding for years to dismantle and redefine pop stardom in her own image.
Musically, the 16-track album is a jaw-dropping collection that seamlessly surveys a vast array of sounds, including hyperpop, R&B, dance, jazz, new age, bedroom pop, and a touch of country. Tinashe demonstrates incredible sequencing skills, effortlessly shifting through these varied genres across 40 minutes. Tracks like the introspective “Empty Stadiums” and the emotion-purging “Heavy Weight” anchor the record’s loftier ambitions.
She proves that a pop star can pull from Janet Jackson and Britney Spears as liberally as she pulls from Santigold, Ciara, and Dawn Richard. If she is successfully turning personal experiences into universal hooks, the question becomes: why not?
Popstar is sneakily sarcastic and gloriously sassy, yet Tinashe is uniquely able to commit to this persona, offering a perspective that is both deeply personal and universally compelling.
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