Tinashe truly has been called every name music critics can come up with. She’s been called a one-hit wonder, fans have criticized her for being a sellout releasing music that her label wanted her to make, and she’s been in and out of the ‘Khia asylum’ multiple times. One thing is for sure: she keeps her haters up at night. The longevity of her career proves she is the last one laughing.
All the hiccups, flaws and genre-hopping throughout her career truly shaped the popstar she is today. On her eighth studio album POPSTAR, she owns this identity more than ever. She jumps between R&B, hyperpop, EDM, synth-pop, West Coast bounce, trap and funk while still sounding unmistakably like herself. While for some artists this would end up sounding messy or like a treasure hunt for their sound, the genre-hopping feels completely intentional for Tinashe.
The album campaign so far has delivered one of the best roads to an album release in recent memory. Lead single ‘Too Easy’ perfectly captures Tinashe being in full control of herself and her sound. The production itself is playful and flirts with several genres at the same time. With cheeky and confident lyrics such as “I know that I'm a superstar and they hate to see I've come so far. But I can't help that I make it look so easy,” she sets the perfect tone for an album with a statement title like this.
Stardom isn’t always rose-coloured and glamorous. Being at the top of your game can get lonely. Tinashe reflects on the downside of her fans constantly labelling her ‘underrated’ on ‘Empty Stadium’. The emotional songwriting happens over a hauntingly beautiful synth-pop production. She sings, “Last night I saw a dream so vivid that I woke up sick. In an empty stadium, looking at the walls, seeing no exits. When I realize I'm alone, I've been singing so long and nobody hears it and I'm standing on the stage just waiting for applause.” Before adding the heartbreaking truth she lives as a star eight studio albums deep: “Don't wanna die underrated.”
Everyone who is still hoping to grab the title ‘Song of the Year 2026’ can start giving their hopes up. At least if it’s up to PinkPantheress. She hands the title to Tinashe for the second single of the album. “Crash out by Tinashe is song of the year I’m so sorry but she’s taking it,” she stated on X. On the trap and hip-hop-influenced R&B track, Tinashe delivers undeniable West Coast energy. Vocally, she isn’t aiming to show you every trick she has up her sleeve. She keeps it cool and almost conversational as she delivers the song with full attitude.
The album is filled with songs where Tinashe simply perfects her craft. They have that trademark sound she has been building and curating over time. On ‘Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore’, however, she takes us by surprise. We hear a sound we haven’t heard her play with yet. The song features a blend of traditional country music with rock-style electric guitars, big drums and a high-energy, pop-tinged hook. We love how she never stops exploring new sounds to make her music feel fresh and exciting.
The album’s title track perfectly captures the central theme of what it means to be a pop star. It explores the duality of living in the spotlight, touching on the intense glamour of Hollywood while reflecting on her success in the music industry. Before we dive into ‘Popstar’, we warm up with ‘The Show Must Go On’, which consists of a repetitive, sped-up chant of “popstar, popstar, popstar…” These nineteen seconds act as the perfect interlude.
Tinashe perfectly captures what life must be like in the spotlight for those who don’t get to experience the life she lives. She does it in a bigger, stranger and more experimental way than she ever has before. Nothing is off topic as she grabs your hand and lets you tag along through the highs and lows of stardom. The project shows that eight albums deep, there is still room to perfect your craft, stay true to yourself and keep taking new genres along for the ride.