Buckle Up Because Tinashe's Joyride Has Finally Arrived

The journey to Joyride has been a long and bumpy road, nevertheless Tinashe casually rose above the BS like a phoenix and right now her sophomore album is finally here for our listening pleasure. On the initial track, Tinashe distressingly repeats the line "keep your eyes on the road." It's easy to envision that this is exactly what the 25-year-old has been doing within the past two years that she worked on this project. Despite the several setbacks that stood in her way, the singer-songwriter had no time to waste on any intrerruptions. The mission was crystal clear—Tinashe had to be able to see this album through and she managed to do just that.


"I know what I got and I like what I like/ Don't come around with nothing, and I'm whipping out of time," she confidently declares on the hook of "He Don't Want It." Mention what you want about her, yet Tinashe has routinely been outspoken about being a woman in control of her life. This lusty track is followed by "Ooh La La" which kickstarts with an effect that sounds like a squeaky mattress, a playful reminder that Tinashe isn't ditching her bedroom roots.


Aside from the previously released singles featuring Offset ("No Drama"), Ty Dolla $ign and French Montana ("Me So Bad"), and Future ("Faded Love"), the only other group effort on the record is with Little Dragon on a snappy song called "Stuck With Me." As a sucker for Tinashe's dark and moody ballads, I instantly had a soft spot for the bittersweet slow-burner "Salt." I was not expecting the closer "Fires And Flames" to be an intimate, piano-driven confessional where she shamelessly begs to stay the night with someone, although Tinashe snatched my breath on the initial listen. She's not thirsty for attention—she's starved for love and affection.


If Aquarius didn't emphasize Tinashe's stance against being pigeonholed as an artist, Joyride drives that deep into your skull. There will constantly be a balance between the bops, ballads and bangers because Tinashe is giving us genre-fluid hits that transcend categorization. While we'll never really know what the album was initially conceived as way back in 2016, the final product is something worth losing sleep over. Hopefully, next time we won't have to experience another rollercoaster ride sort in attempt to get it. Joyride is out right now by means of the RCA Records.