Sad news for Tinashe fans: the recording artist as unfortunately cancelled her entire Joyride World Tour, including upcoming dates in Australia and New Zealand. The singer has apologised to fans, claiming that she needs to finish work on her upcoming album before she can take it on tour, which makes perfect sense.
Tinashe released the following statement on her Facebook:
“It is with a heavy heart that I come with the news that due to unexpected recording commitments I need to postpone my upcoming international tour. Originally, I had planned this tour in support of Joyride, and as you know, the album has yet to be released.
“My two biggest loves are music and my fans, and it is never my intention to disappoint anyone. I know there has been some confusion in regards to my album’s release date. Trust me, I am as eager to get it out to you as you are to hear it. I will be wrapping up the finishing touches on Joyride by the end of May, and will be back on the road shortly thereafter to see all of you. If you know anything about me, you know this was the last thing I would ever want to do.
“I know there will be a lot of questions about this. I am going to do a live Q&A on my Facebook tomorrow to answer them all. Stay tuned for more info on that.
“Thank you for your love, support and patience always. It means the world to me”.
xo
Tinashe”
Tinashe was supposed to visit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth towards the end of May, but these dates will no doubt be rescheduled for later in the year or 2017. Live Nation have announced that refunds will be available from the point of purchase.
Tinashe last visited Australia in early 2015. Read our interview here: “I’m not just a cute girl signed to a record label”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynq2C7MRGaY
Image: Live Nation
Tinashe has been killing it lately. From teasing her own solo projects via collaborations with Juicy J, Metro Boomin and Mike WiLL Made It, to shooting up the charts alongside Snakehips and Chance The Rapper for All My Friends, Tinashe has been carving out her own name in the industry and establishing one heck of a brand. A little extra help here and there doesn’t hurt however.
Thanks to some stellar timing and some crafty uploading by some internet aficionados, the Kentucky native has been riding on the coattails of Rihanna‘s latest smash single Work, which features none other than Drizzy Drake himself. Tinashe’s own track, Watch Me Work, was incorrectly uploaded to YouTube and although it has now subsequently been taken down for copyright reasons, it was not before amassing a cool 11 million views.
The track itself debuted in 2014, but the recent attention it has garnered has catapulted it to the number 5 spot on the Billboard ‘Bubbling Under Charts’. With millions of listeners clearly oblivious to the apparent mislabelling of the track, Tinashe is reaping all of the benefits, with her most recent single, Player, which featured Chris Brown, peaked at number 3 on the very same chart.
Mistaken identity could end up being a blessing in disguise for Tinashe, particularly as she has just announced her Joyride world tour, and looks set to build on her breakout 2015.
As a response to the sudden attention for Watch Me Work, the track has now been made available on Vevo and iTunes for the plethora of new Tinashe fans out there to listen to, in all of it’s correctly labelled glory. Talk about capitalising on a timely error.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynq2C7MRGaY]
Image courtesy of Pages Digital.
Tinashe, SZA, Dej Loaf, Empress Of, ABRA, Lord Narf and Jean Deaux have a few things in common. Not only are they 7 of the most exciting new voices in RnB and hip-hop, and they represent minorities in the music industry, but they have also all joined forces to cover The Fugees‘ classic song, Killing Me Softly with His Song.
In the lead up to the release of The New York Times Style Magazine‘s Spring issue, the magazine published an article titled “The Season’s Most Seismic Earrings, on R&B and Hip-Hop’s Rising Stars.” Featuring these 7 talented ladies, the publication has now shared some behind-the-scenes footage of the stars, with each of them having a crack at the classic tune. Showing off their individual – and stunning – sets of pipes, all but Lord Narf and Dej Loaf take turns singing the hook. Instead of singing, these two provide an original verse each as a bookend, showing just how much skill they have when it comes to their rhymes.
Clocking in at just over a minute, it sounds so damn good you wish it went for a whole lot longer. You can hear it for yourself below:
Read our interview with Tinashe here
Image: Pitchfork
As far as best songs go, these are ten of the best. We’re now in February and the consistently high quality of music output that we’ve seen over the past four weeks ago hasn’t dwindled once in the new month. If anything, it’s gotten even better. See for yourself below!
AAA+, Disciple Of Love
Adelaide artist AAA+ dropped a doozy this week with Disciple Of Love– a retro-futuristic electro-pop jam with a lot to give. Sounding like he’s borrowed elements from everyone like Cut Copy to The Chemical Brothers, Disciple Of Love is a pulsing, pounding track that’s driven by its bouncy synth line and crashing drum beat. He’s been kicking around for a while but has never really taken off in his home country – until now!
Summer Flake, Shoot And Score
The more I hear Summer Flake, the more I enjoy her. Taken from her sophomore album, Hello Friends, this tune is called Shoot And Score and is four-and-a-half minutes of droning, mesmerising bliss. “Shoot and score, take what’s yours,” she sings, her guitars thick and heavy as they carry the emotion in her lyrics and voice. This track is dripping in reverb-y goodness, and has done yet another excellent job in reminding me why Summer Flake is so great!
Annabel Jones, IOU
IOU by Annabel Jones has already got the approval of one Zane Lowe, who she debuted it with this week on his Beats 1 show. Now she can add approval from Howl & Echoes too, as I was instantly hooked from the first serene note that kicks the song off. From here, it just gets better and better, with it’s bassy groove and quirky arrangements- not to mention her sassy af lyrics that take it to another level. Total jam.
Pandamic, Heck!
Following along the same vein as bands like Violent Soho and Dune Rats, Pandamic’s new belter Heck! is a beer-drenched anthem with thrashy guitars and punchy drums- but don’t let the bravado fool you. It’s a forlorn love song at it’s heart, it just tricks you for a second. With a ripper of a chorus that would no doubt be unreal to join in with at a live show, Heck! is a huge step forward for the boys and one in a direction I can’t wait to see them go down.
Gallant, Skipping Stones (Ft. Jhene Aiko)
Skipping Stones represents when two worlds collide in the best possible way. Featuring two of music’s most incredible voices around at the moment, Gallant and Jhene Aiko have teamed up and it is stunning. Both artists bring their A-game here in a big way as they sing about their empty hearts and beds in a way that casts a spell on you with it’s dreamy arrangement accompanying it. Sounding like Leon Bridges mixed with Sam Smith, Gallant has never sounded this good before, whilst Aiko shows off why she is one of the most hyped up acts in the world- and why she’s so deserving.
Two People, Fading
Fun fact: Two People are actually two people from the now defunct-Snakadaktal. Phoebe Lou and Joey Clough are now trying their hand at a different game, and the first taste of it is impressive to say the least. Hypnotic and spell-binding, Fading is a swirling dream featuring static-y rain, Four Tet-esque production and heavenly vocals. There are huge things in store for these two.
Tinashe, Ride Of Your Life (Prod. Metro Boomin)
Tinashe is the next big pop star, and you only need to listen to any one of her songs to hear why. She has one of the best voices around, possessing a certain “superstar” quality that comes naturally to her. She also has an uncanny knack of picking the right producers to work with, and this latest track with Metro Boomin is no exception. Seductive both in Tinashe’s vocals and Metro Boomin’s trap-styled beats, the two bring out the best in each other with Ride Of Your Life– yet another feather in Tinashe’s already very full cap.
Nina Las Vegas, Now Or Never (Ft. CZ & Swick)
Australian dance music’s leading lady Nina Las Vegas is at it again, dropping another banger via her brand new record label, NLV Records. She teased us all last year with a sampler that featured an original track from each artist on the label – herself included – and now we can finally hear what else she’s been sitting on this whole time. Practically redefining the term “banger” Nina goes in on this track, teaming up with CZ and Swick as if it wasn’t good enough already. It’s like PC Music sent into overdrive, and is a seriously solid release from one of Australia’s most prolific tastemakers. Yaaaaaaas!
Carmada, Realise (Chrome Sparks Remix)
Chrome Sparks is just about to touch down in Australia for a string of shows at the end of the month, and it seems like he’s really getting into the spirit of things by taking Carmada’s hit track, Realise and running with it. Turning it inside out in his own special way, Chrome Sparks shakes up Realise and reassembles it with some slightly off-kilter beats, thick synths and unpredictable drops throughout. This is part of an entire EP of Realise remixes, but we’ve got our money on this being the best one. Chrome Sparks can’t be beaten!
Loose Tooth, Bites Will Bleed
Melbourne three-piece have just today announced that not only are they teaming up with Milk! Records (Courtney Barnett’s label), but that they are dropping a brand new EP on April 1 titled Saturn Returns. To celebrate, the trio have released an absolute wailer in the for of Bites Will Bleed. Scuzzy guitar, booming drums, and vocals that cut through the fuzz, Loose Tooth immediately got me very keen indeed to hear Saturn Returns. Hopefully there is more where this came from!
Image via Two People’s Facebook
Tinashe has dropped a sultry new track, Energy, further taunting us with material from her forthcoming second LP, Joyride. The follow up album to Aquarius, Joyride has yet to be given an official release date- but if songs like Player, and Energy are anything to go off, it looks like we’re in for a treat.
The track, produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, and featuring a verse from Juicy J, is a sensual slow burner. While Tinashe embodies the role of a seductress in this song, beckoning her partner to “hit me up like lightning“, Juicy J’s verse feels almost abrupt, and entirely unnecessary. “We doing jumping jacks, we do yoga / She exercise, she eat yoghurt,” he spits. “She read books and watch Oprah / I let her ride me, I’m her chauffeur“, while entertaining, it feels like the track deserved more both in terms of lyricism, and delivery – both of which his verse is severely lacking.
It’s unclear whether this is a cut from Joyride or not, as it was silently uploaded to the singer’s Soundcloud this week. If it is, let’s just quietly hope that any other guest verses on the album are much better than Juicy J’s.
Check out the song below:
Tinashe Joyride tour dates:
May 21 – West End, Australia @ Max Watts
May 24 – Newtown, Australia @ Enmore Theatre
May 25 – Melbourne, Australia @ The Forum
May 26 – Northbridge, Australia @ Metro City
Tickets here
Jai Wolf ended 2015 on a high note by teaming up with Tinashe to create a fresh synth-pop take on her track, Player. 2015 was a huge year for both of them and 2016 looks to be exactly the same.
The upbeat track has been taken up a few levels by Jai Wolf, who splices it with a synth twist and amps up the pop-friendly sounds. Cutting Chris Brown‘s verse from the track, Wolf instead opts to create a track made for the dancefloor, honing in on Tinashe’s incredible voice and utilising his ODESZA influences to make this what it is- an all-out summer jam with a near euphoric break.
When we interviewed Tinashe at the beginning of 2015, she talked about wanting to be known for more than just her looks.
“[A challenge has been] just proving yourself to people, letting them know that you need to be taken seriously and you’re not just a cute girl signed to a record label. Developing that level of respect among other creatives so that they really bring you their best stuff, and to try and really respect you as an artist. I think it was a learning passage. It took a while but it’s exciting now.”
At the end of the year, she spoke out about the struggles of black women in the industry and the prejudice they are forced to deal with.
“It’s just kind of ridiculous because there are like a hundred blonde, white actresses and leading ladies. There are a hundred rappers that all virtually look the same, sound the same, and dress the same and no one cares. But for some reason, when it comes to young women, they want to pit them against each other… There can’t be five black girls winning. It’s weird.”
Aside from that, she released her newest mixtape Amethyst and dropped by Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on her international tour.
Wolf proved to be something special with he was discovered last year by Skillet, smashing his breakout hit Indian Summer out of the park. He went on his first national tour in October after playing at Coachella and Bonnaroo.
Quickly becoming one of the biggest popstars in the world, Tinashe has been hard work making sure just about everyone knows who she is and what she’s about. She’s collaborated with ScHoolboy Q, Chance The Rapper, Snakehips and more, and continues to dominate with each and every release. But things still aren’t too easy for her, as she revealed in a new – and very real – interview.
“Of course it bothers me,” she said when asked how she feels about people constantly questioning why she’s famous. “I’ve worked exceptionally hard to be here on my own creative force. I’m a woman producer and a vocal producer. I’m writing my own music, I’m the creative vision behind my visuals, my live shows aren’t like any other live show. There are so many other elements that set me apart, but people don’t care sometimes.”
Not stopping there, Tinashe also put the whole music industry on blast for their still very prevalent racial prejudice, saying, “[T]he way I see it, obviously, is if a Black girl is winning–whether she is lightskin, darkskin, or any type of shade in-between, that should be a win for the Black community, period. But it’s not necessarily always perceived as such. It’s like ‘Oh, she’s on the more lighter spectrum, so that is why she wins.’”
She went on to say she still feels she has to “represent” the black community, and referred to it as her “struggle”. “There is a Beyoncé, there is a Rihanna, there is Zendaya, there is a Jourdan Dunn. There is a black girl in all of these positions and we don’t need another one. It’s just kind of ridiculous because there are like a hundred blonde, white actresses and leading ladies. There are a hundred rappers that all virtually look the same, sound the same, and dress the same and no one cares. But for some reason, when it comes to young women, they want to pit them against each other… There can’t be five black girls winning. It’s weird.”
You can read the entire interview here, which is well worth your time. You should also keep your eyes peeled for her new album, Joyride, coming out next year.
Read our interview with Tinashe here
Read our review of Tinashe’s ‘Amethyst’ here
We’ve been blessed and inundated with hip-hop music videos this week, so what better chance to compile a few of the standouts for a midweek roundup!
Snakehips x Tinashe x Chance the Rapper: All My Friends
If you are yet to listen to this song, stop whatever you are doing, pop on your headphones and let the the next four minutes of your life be filled with one of the biggest sleeper hits of 2015. The joint offering of Tinashe, Chance the Rapper and Snakehips is one heck of a combination; the hook has not left my head since I first gave this track a listen. I’m just going to call it right now, despite dropping in October, with a video release this track is going to blow up in a big way, so jump onboard now and you’ll get to scold everyone because you heard it first!
The video is a trippy reenactment of a standard night out with me and my friends in the city; lots of head spinning and the occasional disagreement with those friendly bouncers. Don’t sleep on Snakehips, they are about to bless our shores for Field Day, Beyond The Valley and a couple of sideshows!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3mrYxPLSH4]
Ty Dolla $ign x E-40 – Saved
E-40 is definitely riding a mainstream wave, and has jumped onboard with Ty Dolla $ign as the autotuned crooner has just released his brand new album, Free TC. I kind of hope that this video is intentionally cheesy, if not I don’t know how I can justify E-40 and Ty Dolla Sign sitting atop a throne surrounded by clouds and beautiful women, while repeating the word “saved” about a thousand times. Nonetheless, the video is probably a fitting visual for the track itself; a radio friendly song which is perfect for some easy listening.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snTZ7X8OMuc]
Joey BadA$$ x Kiesza: Teach Me
Joey Bada$$ has undoubtedly become one of my favourite rappers since his 2015 release B4.DA.$$; an emotional journey through the trials and tribulations of a New York teenager. With a solid body of work behind him, it’s hard to believe that Joey is still only 20 years of age. The rapper has also jumped on an array of stellar tracks as a feature this year, from the Statik Selektah gem Beautiful Life, to a perfect collab with Glass Animals. Teach Me is easily one of those songs that you can’t help but dance to, the up tempo beat and catchy hook is the perfect club or party track. It’s no surprise then, that the video is filled with extravagant dancing, vibrant colours, and an overall vibe that will leave you a little warm and fuzzy afterwards.
Every once in a while, a clip pops up of a musician doing something when they’re younger and we get to take a trip through time and see how much they’ve grown. The most memorable one for me is definitely seeing Sia perform on a 1997 episode of Home & Away, but this one is definitely strong competition.
In 2003, Bob Dylan wrote and directed Masked & Anonymous, a pretty unsuccessful film about “a singer, whose career has gone on a downward spiral, and is forced to make a comeback to the performance stage for a benefit concert.” In this clip, a young girl, the one and only Tinashe, daughter to a “Mrs. Brown”, is introduced by none other than John Goodman (“Uncle Sweetheart” – what a name), and covers Dylan’s classic The Times They Are a-Changin’ in front of Bob himself.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGkANKAOiy0&w=420&h=315]
It’s a huge change from what we’re used to from Tinashe nowadays. The U.S pop-queen has just released the sexy and jumpy All Hands on Deck, and before that, her soulful Amethyst EP.
It’s always nice to see where the people we listen to have come from – and for Tinashe, who we interviewed earlier this year, you can hear the strength in her voice when she was only 10 years old.
It’s Friday, and that means it’s playlist day, HOORAY! We have a strongly electronic list this week, with a little hip hop and some indie rock thrown in for good measure. Enjoy 
Freddie Gibbs & Kaytranada, My Dope House
Well this is just a given. Two of the most exciting names in the game have come together on one hell of a track. Opening on swooping, deep synths and a huge beat, Gibbs’ aggressive raps are spat out, effortlessly power and with a flow like quicksand. I fucking love this song and that’s that.
Nosaj Thing, Don’t Mind Me ft. Whoarei
This track really traipses between the weirdly absurd and the beautifully soulful. Pitch-shifted vocals, both high and low, dance around a deep beat and a gorgeous, husky un-shifted vocal line, before some seriously psychedelic taps and beats come in and out of your earphones almost at random, generating an experimental and very strange atmosphere. Dense, but excellent.
RKDA, META
It’s pronounced Arcadia (I know, I was confused too.) It’s dark and strange and kind of convoluted, but once you wade through the ambience and white noise, an intricate track with a solidly experimental, glitch vibe starts developing. Two minutes of interesting sound effects, I’m looking forward to hearing more.
Klue, Way I’m Loving You
A heady beat and bright xylophone-style notes intertwine with incredibly staccato-ed vocals and clean brass-sounding chords. This is a really interesting track, catchy and dance-ready, although I can’t help but thinking how much better it’d be if it were a little less choppy.
Darts, Aeroplane
The Melbourne five-piece caught my attention recently with their track Westward Bound, and I’m so glad they did, because Aeroplane is even better. Refreshingly simple and somehow managing to sound genuine in a world overflowing with indie bands, I’m very much looking forward to their upcoming debut album.
OOFJ, I Forgive You (Dean Blunt remix)
I imagine it was difficult to remix a track so expansive and unique, but Dean Blunt has managed to do it really well. While I don’t like the pitch-shifted vocals as much throughout this version, the slow, hypnotic and demanding instrumental layers are stunning. Oh, and watch out for the two-minute mark.
Henry Green, Barcelona
Henry Green is a Bristol-based teenager, and this is his absolutely gorgeous debut single Barcelona. Slow and emotive, the intimate lyrics and delicate instrumental layers have been pieced together with precision well beyond his experience. This is an absolutely lovely track, and I’m really looking forward to hearing more.
Twin Caverns, Truth
Twin Caverns have become something of a staple in these playlists – each track they release is phenomenal. They’ve just released their debut EP, and this is their final single from it. Sensual and sultry and trip-hop-infused electronica, and there’s a flute – you cannot go wrong when there’s a flute involved.
Feki, Remember
I discovered Feki a few months back through a mixtape, and I’ve really loved his work ever since. The Brisbane producer has a knack for organic, earthly beats that just give off this beautiful rainforesty vibe. Each layer smoothly flows around the next, with keys, rhythms and synths gently twirling and intertwining with one another.
Tinashe, All Hands on Deck (Giraffage Remix)
Tinashe’s track has received a bright, plinky-plonky electronic remix courtesy of California’s Giraffage. It’s got a seriously sick dance beat, perfect for the late night dance floor, but retaining enough of the original’s steamy sensuality. It’s not easy to find that balance, most dance remixes end up giving up the sexiness to make room for banger-ness, but this one’s perfect.