Nearly a year after its release, Tinashe is still riding the highs of her most recent album, 333. The album is her second studio album since leaving RCA Records, and her fifth overall, and as one would expect from a freshly independent artist, Tinashe is enjoying her creative freedom. She stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night to deliver a performance of “X,” the latest single from 333, and a fan favorite.
During the lusty, fiery performance, Tinashe channels her inner dominatrix, wearing leather and fishnets. She is joined by an army of subs, as she leads them with elaborate choreography.
Fans shouldn’t be shocked by the performance, as the lyrics to “X” themselves are rather racy.
“X marks the spot, now can you find it?,” Tinashe sings over an electronic, Hitmaka-produced beat. “Turnt up, you wanna get behind it. I wanna feel your body it’s on fire.”
Tinashe is no newbie to conceptual visual elements. Last month, she released a video for “Naturally,” from the deluxe edition of 333, which takes inspiration from ’70s horror films. Last year, Tinashe told MTV News that 333 is inspired by “the nature of reality and potentially the fact that we’re living in a simulation and how all of those things intersect moving forward.”
Pop-R&B singer Tinashe’s known for the high-concept treatments of her music videos such as “X,” “Bouncin,” and “Pasadena,” but rarely have they been as viscerally provocative as her new video for “Naturally.” Seemingly inspired by 1970s psychological horror (and its recent resurgence), the video finds Tinashe covering herself in gore for a literal bloodbath on a sun-soaked farm where she apparently slaughters some local livestock and performs choreography with a team in Western ranch regalia.
“Naturally” is the first single from the deluxe version of Tinashe’s 2021 album, 333, which adds four new songs to the singer’s second independently released album. Two of the songs also bring in new featured guests, Compton dance musician Channel Tres, and Oakland rapper Christian Blue.
In a recent interview, Tinashe talked about her pioneering, experimental sound and why she hated being categorized as “just” an R&B artist. “I hated being called an R&B star,” she said. “I really, really had a strong aversion to that. I felt that created a ceiling to my artistry that really turned me off in the early days. I didn’t want to be in that box that I felt had some type of inevitable lid on it. I’ve always honestly classified myself as a pop star. That’s always been what I see for myself, and then I think people’s interpretation of what that means is maybe where it gets convoluted because some people think pop means mainstream. Like, I don’t know, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, or something. But I think that’s not what that really means. To me, it’s more like what you embody more so than, I think, what it sonically sounds like.”
Hindsight is 20/20. Just a few years ago, it looked like Tinashe was out of place and struggling to find her footing in the music industry. Today, it’s clear that she was just ahead of her time. Since 2020, a new wave of Black pop singers has emerged, working very much from a blueprint for which she helped lay the groundwork, including such breakout stars as Chloe and Normani. Then, in 2021, Tinashe returned with her album 333, coming full circle to land at the forefront of the movement she helped to start when no one else really “got it.”
Today, she released the latest single from that album, “X,” with a high-concept music video that slyly nods to the way she saw the future before anyone else did. Featuring a subtly comedic framework of a teenage Tinashe encountering a street hustler peddling visions of the future in his crystal ball, the video shows off the LA-based singer’s high-fashion sensibilities and acrobatic choreography with a team of dancers and a stunning wardrobe that is best described, in the words of her video co-star, as a “snakeskin octopus dress.” Unfortunately, featured artist Jeremih was unable to appear, as he’s been recovering from a vicious bout of COVID since 2020, but his verse remains intact. Either way, Tinashe makes her point; she could see what no one else could in her crystal ball and now, her vision is coming to life.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
The angel number “333” is a reassuring sign that confirms the path one currently charters is the correct one. All fears, worries, anxieties, or anything else that undercuts confidence at the knees, are acknowledged, but the beam of light that this triple-digit figure shines towards is optimism rather than pessimism. In short, “333” not only begs for faith but also induces it. After all the chaos that the world endured in 2020, it’s no surprise that Tinashe’s fifth album carries the title of 333, but a pandemic year barely scratches the surface of inspiration for the singer, that is, if it’s even for the table she sits at.
To understand why Tinashe might need faith instilled in her future, you have to understand her past. After gaining popularity for a trio for 2010s mixtapes, In Case We Die (2012), Reverie (2012), and Black Water (2013), and breaking through mainstream walls with her debut album Aquarius and top-30 Billboard single “2 On,” things would veer off-road for Tinashe. Struggles with her former label would result in an unpromoted sophomore album Nightride and a well-overdue third album in Joyride. Tinashe would reclaim control of her career as an independent act for her fourth and fifth albums, Songs For You and 333, but for many of her fans, and quite possibly the singer herself, questions of what-ifs and maybes swarmed the mind.
333 encapsulates Tinashe’s eye-popping versatility like no other album in her discography has done. Through 16 songs and collaborations with Jeremih, Kaytranada, Kaash Paige, Buddy, and more, the singer dives headfirst into the idea that trusting what’s in front of you will lead to what’s also destined for you. It’s the hidden message that lays underneath the drawn-out and steady snaps on the album’s opening track, “Let Go.” “It’ll be alright,” she sings softly. “When I let go.” The gadgets and gizmos that we believe we can control to steer our lives in the desired direction are mere placebos that appear as such we end up at a different destination than expected — whether it be an enchanting heaven or a bottomless ditch.
So with that, Tinashe keeps faith in what she can do well, and in all honesty, it’s a lot. Between R&B that arrives as gritty on “I Can See The Future” or bouncy and sensual on “X” as well as pop-leaning records that come alive through “Undo (Back To My Heart)” and “The Chase,” Tinashe’s palette bears many different colors for brushes of all sizes. For some, this never-ending availability of options may be too much to handle, but for Tinashe? She’s cut front the cloth that doesn’t simply beg for freedom — she requires and demands it. A lack of boundaries for some leads to aimless roaming and wasted times, while for others, it provides the perfect space for discovery and inspiration. Tinashe is the latter.
Roaming free helped the singer produce several examples of attention-seizing records on 333. “Unconditional” begins with uptempo dance-ready production before dialing the tempo back in its second half into a relaxed state that sees Tinashe expanding on her request for love without restriction as she plans on giving the same. “Last Call” arrives as a somber goodbye to a relationship that once was and the hope that a friendship can be salvaged. The song’s climatic production from verse-to-chorus accentuates Tinashe’s true pain towards a departed love while a similar structure on “The Chase” presents a woman who’s moved on and won’t beg for a former lover’s presence.
For the career Tinashe has endured, two quotes from her come to mind. “I realized that it was my turn to get back into the driver’s seat as far as curating every move I made from there on out,” which she said following the underwhelming success of “Flame,” a lead single turned promo release for Joyride. The second comes from a 2017 interview with Lena Dunham. “I learned that if I couldn’t trust in myself, and my own opinions, I lost all of my value as an artist,” she said. Both statements from Tinashe are worth keeping in mind while traversing through her latest body of work.
Tinashe deserves the spot she stands in right now. She was due for this position years ago, but maybe the bumpy road she walked on was intentionally laid for her. The trials and tribulations the singer went through are certainly examples of the faults within an often unsupportive music industry, this and the accompanying high moments she experienced all contributed to the success she has now. Control what you can and let go of what you cannot as hindsight is 20/20 and foresight is as blind as a bat, but faith in continuing forward should bring Tinashe all she wants and more. The angels have spoken, now it’s time to listen, trust, and believe.
333 is out now via Tinashe Music Inc. Get it here.
Shortly after unveiling the title and release date of her forthcoming album, 333, Tinashe has shared a seductive new single called “I Can See The Future.” Over a skittering beat, the R&B singer rolls out verses about a potentially rewarding partnership with a love interest: “I can see the future / And it looks like you and I / I can see the future / And it feels like paradise.”
Prior to “I Can See The Future,” Tinashe shared two singles that will appear on 333. The first is “Pasadena” and the second is “Bouncin.” She’ll also hit the road later this year for her “333 Tour,” which launches on September 16 in Houston, Texas, and lasts for a little over a month before concluding on October 24. It will also a worldwide experience curated by Moment House, a company that specializes in virtual performances.
Listen to “I Can See The Future” above. Tinashe also revealed the 333 album artwork and tracklist last night, which you can find below.
Tinashe
1. “Let Go”
2. “I Can See The Future”
3. “X” Feat. Jeremih
4. “Shy Guy”
5. “Boucin’”
6. “Unconditional” Feat. Kaytranada
7. “Angels” Feat. Kaash Paige
8. “333” Feat. AB
9. “Undo” Feat. Wax Motif
10. “Let Me Down Slowly”
11. “Last Call”
12. “The Chase”
13. “Pasadena” Feat. Buddy
14. “Small Reminders”
15. “Bouncin’ Pt. 2”
16. “It’s A Wrap” Feat. Quiet Child and Kudzai
It’s been a couple of years since a new project from Tinashe was released, but 2019’s Songs For You turned out to be one of the most well-received releases of her career. Now the singer has announced the title and release date of her forthcoming fifth album.
Tinashe revealed in a tweet it would be titled 333. She also attached a sci-fi trailer that captures the singer getting out of bed and finding out that a third eye has mysteriously appeared on her forehead. The post was captioned “08062021,” which means that the album will arrive early next month, on August 6. Tinashe previously shared a video, which was captioned “333,” and which showed her undergoing experimental tests conducted by a group of doctors.
The announcement comes after Tinashe shared two singles that will likely appear on 333. The first is “Pasadena” and the second is “Bouncin,” and both were supported by elegant videos. She will also hit the road later this year for her 333 Tour, which launches on September 16 in Houston, Texas, and lasts for a little over a month before concluding on October 24. It will also a worldwide experience curated by Moment House, a company that specializes in virtual performances.
