Let's Go On A Little Joyride ★✩✮ The Tinashe Discography Rate - THE WINNER IS...

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At least it was not dead last! I'll let you imagine what "release" is.

Bar a handful people on both sides of the spectrum, everyone's average was between a 7 and an 8 for this one, proving we mostly agree this mixtape is quite good. As said before many times, it shows a great deal of potential. Far from being perfect, it was the first stone Tinashe started building her career from. It's unpolished, some tracks would do with better vocals and more finished production, but in the end it doesn't even matter. Much has been said about Aquarius and how stunning a debut it is. But while I agree on the stunning part, it's disingenuous to treat it as her real debut. Aquarius is not Tinashe's debut. In Case We Die is, mixtape or not. And as with practically every real debut (not "big label debut" or "album debut"), this isn't near Tinashe's best work and frankly that's perfectly okay. I can enjoy it for what it is, a great introduction and something a bit different from her later stylings.

Now, do I think this is her worst release? No. I much prefer it to Reverie, for example, even though I get why that mixtape can be more appealing. Also, it has a certain song no way wouldn't have outlasted all of In Case We Die and I'm at peace with that. But that's a conversation for another day.​
 
#32
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Avg: 8.279
Highest
: 10x7 (@ohdenny; @lemonsqueezyy; @Andy French; @2014; @phily693; @Touchofmyhand; and me)

Lowest: 5x1 (@ohnostalgia)

My Vote: 10

Worth It (feat. Iamsu) for: the Gameboy Color realness of the production


I know this song has quite the baggage and many people hoped it would finally be IT for Tinashe, but it’s just not fair. It’s not fair to hold the fact a song royally flopped against it when everyone hoped it would smash. Yes, even if it was a Max Martin penned “lead single”.


Player is stellar. This is not the first time I defend it and it probably won’t be the last. It’s a stunning track and honestly in my Top 10 tracks from 2015. It’s insane. I don’t have words for that chorus, that sounds like the sound of utter, unrivaled triumph. The fact she hides it to us the first time around, only to unleash it the second time like the hounds of hell coming directly for your scalp is one of her best moments so far. The production is stellar as well. Literally, every element to this is a huge big YES! screamed at the top of your lungs. In short, it’s everything “Popnashe” should be. Not random collaborations. Not Flame. Something like Player, a huge, undeniable, pop explosion that plays to her insane strengths. Not even Chris Brown's ghost could spoil all that.


Not for you apparently. Let’s start the parade with Touchofmyhand (10): “This 10 is for the solo version, the one I claim. The other one can choke with a 6 at best”. ThisIsRogue (7.5) is on the same page: “What was the point of including Chris Brown as a feature when the song would have been fine as a solo track?” and other Chrissy Teigen’s disdain comes from Posh Spears (9): “Love a nintendo bawp! The solo version is the correct version of course.” Now is the time to confess this. I actually don’t mind his verse, I think he does well enough. He’s still a douche and still doesn’t add anything to the track though.


Let’s quickly shift focus from this controversial ass opinion with constantino (7) and ha blatant hypocrisy: “This is indeed a bop, but it was still regressive for her. I’m generally ok with shameless chart pandering for this if it actually works, but this was a bit of a flop so it wasn’t even worth it.” C’mon double standards let’s get casually cruel in the name of being honest’ning! nikkysan (6) is visibly confused: “Not terribly interesting but a serviceable enough of a bop.” That chorus could well be more interesting than my whole past, present and future life. And yours. Andy French (10) serves post-Unapologetic Rihanna: “This score is for the solo version, as I willingly choose to ignore Chris Brown’s general existence.” So do the charts in the past few years. Let’s celebrate that. Finally, phily842 (10) lives for a good edging queen: “I love that she went full on pop, it's a damn shame this wasn't bigger. Obviously the solo edit is superior. I love that the real chorus doesn't kick in until over a minute into the song. A fantastic slice of pop!” I too live for my unnie @Slice of Life! And last, lemonsqueezyy (10) who hits it out of the park, once again: “The single version is a complete 10 - airy, atmospheric, yet futuristic production, vocals for decades, and immaculate styling on the single cover. We all know what went wrong here, but this should've been the one.” I still hope it gets to be released on Joyride. It’d be a bit tragic I know, but I still do.



 
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#31
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Avg: 8.309
Highest
: 10x2 (@TRAVVV; @WarmBlood11)

Lowest: 5.5x1 (@AshleyKerwin)

My Vote: 7

Worth It (feat. Iamsu) for: “Meeting is only a matter of time / Loving is only a matter of time / Touching is only a matter of time, oh / I can feel it in my soul this can't be wrong”


I don’t know. I’ve never really connected with this song like some of you have. I think it’s a perfectly fine song but… not much more than that. I love Black Water to death, and the fact it’s only just half an hour long and houses as many as three career highlights only makes me feel the more lukewarm towards the rest. Maybe it’s not that fair towards those other songs, but the comparison is kinda inescapable.


Maybe it’s just that it’s too gentle. I feel that, even at her sweetest, Tinashe is at her best when she keeps a little hint of edge, and here there isn’t any. Some of you mentioned the Ryan Hemsworth version and I confess I just listened to it and I feel it’s the better one, because it packs much more grit and I love the added verse. Another regretted score I guess. Why did I even consider rating strictly for Tinashe was a good idea again?


Straight outta poppers-o’clock corner, constantino (8) tells us that he’s “not usually one for slow-bops but her delivery is gorgeous here.” Touchofmyhand (9.5) makes me a proud TinasheMomma: “The song that fleshed out the most thanks to this rate”. sailor-moon-but-you-didn’t-do-anything.png. phily143 (9) is 1 for real instruments: “The guitar riff throughout is lovely, it all just glides along with her lovely higher register. A true highlight of the mixtape.” Agreed(d). Hell, it’s way too sunny in here, let’s call AshleyKerwin (5.5) for some good old shade: “This should’ve been in a commercial for MTV’s Are You the One. Maybe just a bedroom montage.” Ok but joke’s on you if you think I can understand this reference.


Let’s finish, as always, with the undisputed fans, both of whom throw parallels to other songs in her catalogue. First up lemonsqueezyy (9.5): “I’ve unashamedly silent-cried to this many a starry night back when it was first released (speaking of which, this is a great but more depressing companion track to the epic that is “Stargazing.”) I would toss this a 10 but something about those dark times stops me from putting a perfect score on this. It’s nothing less than great though.” Ok but you should’ve definitely 10-ed it. And lastly TRAVVV (10), who was this close to giving this even more: “I discovered this version before the Ryan Hemsworth “single” cut (which also has a nice video) and immediately latched onto the lyrics. This was almost an 11 as well. I’ve always thought this was the bopper cousin of Bated Breath do to their similar lyrical content/message.” I don’t see it with either to be honest. If I had to, I’d say the general feel is very similar to Aquarius (the track), very sultry and smooth, mostly within her upper vocal range.


 
--Let me capitalize on this little momentum of ours this rate is apparently gaining--

#30
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Avg: 8.324

Highest: 10x6 (@TRAVVV; @WarmBlood11; @ohdenny; @Mr Blonde; @Andy French; @Touchofmyhand)

Lowest: 5x1 (@2014)

My Vote: 9

Worth It (feat. Iamsu) for: “There's a picture frame of us in the corner just gathering dust / Funny how time doesn't move quite the same”


Latest elimination is third track off masterpiece Nightride. With the first two opening tracks it creates this magical brooding trifecta about the not-so-ideal current state of her career and how she’s keeping on keeping on regardless. It’s sombre but also optimistic at the same time. It’s got quite the range, but she pulls it off nonchalantly. If I remember correctly, it was a certain Rashida Jones fan who upon release brought up this has a very Frank Ocean vibe, and I can definitely see that. It’s something you wouldn’t expect from Tinashe, an interesting sound coming from her and a possible exciting new direction for her.


And what about them vocals? Raise your hand if you could tell Tinashe’s voice could sound like that because I definitely couldn’t. It’s so low, and gritty, but still so pleasant, in true Tinashe fashion. One of her best deliveries hands down. Of course it was done wrong. I mean, it’s a fucking Nightride track. It should automatically get a pass for Top 20 based solely on that. And how fucking smoothly it glides into Binaural Test. Fucking fuckity fuck.


I’m generally a patient type of gal but nikkysan (7) is really coming for me: “I find this to be one of her most inaccessible tracks, but lately I've seen the light.” 1. it’s called being experimental and ahead of one’s time and 2. you clearly haven’t, given that middling score of yours. Talk about middling, it’s constantino (9) time! “I’d love to see her explore these kinds of stark, abstract soundscapes in her future work” wait am I actually agreeing with ha for once? oh no, spoke too soon “...but we all know that anything (if anything) she releases in the future will be trash like Flame.” I’ll pray for you Kathy. You and that disgusting mouth of yours. God bless. I'll get rid of this bitter taste in my mouth with some actual taste, coming from unrelatable Touchofmyhand (10): “'I'm seeing pink, 'cause I've been looking at the bright side. I ain't letting nobody cloud up on my blue sky' has sort of become my life motto.” I’d say same but my wallowing self-pity ass isn't to be trusted for these things unfortunately.

 
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