Tinashe has been searching for the perfect collaborator to answer the all-important dilemma of the summer, “Is somebody gonna match my freak?”. It’s safe to say Chlöe has given listeners the ultimate response.
‘Nasty’ has been dominating everybody’s social media feeds since its release. After its live debut at one of the biggest music festivals in the world, Coachella, back in April, it was almost inevitable this single would gain traction. Whether it’s the heavy club-like bass or Tinashe’s flirty vocal style, the song has all the key elements for crafting a standout smash.
Chlöe, who is known for her confident persona through songs like ‘Body Do’ and ‘Have Mercy’, is the ideal candidate and it makes sense that the feature title would go to none other than ‘Ms. Bailey if you nasty’ herself. Bailey, who is also one half of duo act Chloe X Halle, was always the missing jigsaw piece to this raunchy hit. Her assertive nature oozes across her time on the track. If you weren’t familiar with Chlöe’s style, she breaks it down easily enough, “You ain’t even gotta ask me, ask me / You know I’m down seven days of the week”.
The R&B star knows how to work with a beat and this feature highlights just that. Starting off by matching Tinashe’s melodies and freak then channelling her inner rapper by switching her flow consistently. She treats this collaboration like a freestyle, pairing the beat to her cadence. Ultimately, Chlöe is a performer and uses this to her advantage, keeping the listeners hooked through her musicality and non-conforming tempo.
This summer smash is Tinashe’s first solo entry on both the US and UK charts, but the singer is no stranger to acclaim. Back in 2014, the American performer released ‘All My Friends’ in collaboration with Snakehips and Chance The Rapper, which peaked at five on the UK Official Singles Chart. ‘Nasty’ is the lead single to her upcoming seventh album Quantum Baby and if the success of this track is anything to go by, the trajectory of this era is looking promising.
Tinashe may have been a nasty girl before, but now with a helping hand from Chlöe the track is nastier and sultrier than ever imagined.
Words by Thomas Melia
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