Day 416: Tinashe – Popstar
I’m always in the market to find good new pop, and there’s been a lot of hype around Tinashe’s new album. I’d heard about her but I’ve never actually listened to her, it seems like she’s been around for ages but I’ve just never had the time to get into her stuff, and that’s exactly the kind of thing this project was made for. I also want something a bit more lively to listen to than I would usually go for on a Wednesday night, so Popstar seemed like the perfect choice.
Album cover courtesy of Tinashe Music
Tinashe, or Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe, is a singer, songwriter and actress from Lexington, Kentucky who started her musical career in a girl band called the Stunners, along with another future solo success, Hayley Kiyoko. The group disbanded in 2011, after which Tinashe started releasing solo work that she recorded in her home studio. She released three mixtapes and got signed to RCA records, but she has since gone independent and started her own label called Tinashe Music.
Her eight album Popstar was released in September 2026 through her label, and it’s the final part of a trilogy that includes her 2023 release BB/Ang3l and her 2024 work Quantum Baby. It’s an R&B and pop album with very pronounced electronica and hyperpop influences, along with other wide-ranging genres, from early 2000s pop to new age to jazz. The theme of the album is the multifaceted nature of fame and being a pop star in this age, from the fun and glamorous side to the darker elements of constant surveillance, criticism and judgement that now go along with the job.
The first thing I’m noting about the album is that the production on this is phenomenal. It’s clear that so much thought has been put into building the listener’s experience, the depth and sharpness of the bass and the strange electronic sounds creates a sonic environment where if you listen to it with a nice pair of headphones, you can feel from your head to your toes. It’s a very tactile album that’s just fun to listen to.
It also strikes the perfect balance of being a little bit out there but simultaneously instantly accessible, avant garde enough to keep you interested but not at all an acquired taste. There’s a really strange nostalgia to it, despite it clearly being very fresh and modern it’s got enough influences that it always sounds vaguely familiar. One of the most interesting examples from the album is the song “Empty Stadium”, which combines an old school drum n bass sound with strings to create an alt R&B song that sounds somehow simultaneously familiar and completely unique. Another interesting one is “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore”, which sounds to me like a modern version of “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails.
I really enjoyed this one, I think the hype about the album has been completely warranted. Pitchfork called it the best pop album of the year, and I’d definitely also say it’s up there. It maybe reminds me a little bit of JADE’s debut, not only due to them both being former girl band members who are now making slightly strange artistic pop, there’s something similar about their vibes. I hope they collaborate. Popstar gets a 9/10.