It's been a great year for R&B thus far, but without golden girl Tinashe's own offering to insert within it, it's not all it could be. Ever since the 21-year-old hopped on with RCA Records, both her music quality and her following have been steadily increasing, and since the LA songstress released her three mixtapes from 2012 on, she's been ready for everything that superstardom has to offer. Because of this, her stunning debut album, Aquarius, is one absolutely sure to be successful. For those of you new to the singer's style, know that it consists of distinct, soothing vocals ordinarily atop some hip-hop-oriented production—production ranging from hard-hitting to smooth and sensual natures. We hear the latter side of her sound in "Cold Sweat", a slower-paced jam making use of her soft, almost hypnotic vocals, and we're absolutely loving them on top of Boi-1da's production that features an impressive electronic bit at the end. "Aquarius", the title track, will also be a favorite of those preferring this sort of delivery from Tinashe. If you're one who prefers more a more upbeat vibe, though, then you'll probably take a liking to the powerful, euphoric sound of "Wildfire". Both "Feels Like Vegas", and "Bet", too—each released recently as singles from the album—are must-listens for anyone that enjoys Tinashe's progressive mending of R&B. There were very high expectations for Tinashe's debut project, but even with a ton of pressure on her, she's certainly gone the distance with Aquarius. The album emulates everything we love about the songstress, and there's no doubt that it puts her right up with the best female R&B artists out right now. Check out favorites from the project below, therefore, and head over to iTunes to make it yours (it's out tomorrow).
Tinashe