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Quantum Baby
2024 studio album by Tinashe From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Quantum Baby is the seventh studio album by American singer Tinashe. It was released on August 16, 2024, through her independent label Tinashe Music and Nice Life Recording Company. The album marks as the second installment of a planned album trilogy, following her 2023 album BB/Ang3l. It includes three singles, "Nasty", "Getting No Sleep" and "No Broke Boys", the latter of which was remixed by American DJ Disco Lines and became a top ten hit in several countries.
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Background
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On April 3, 2024, it was announced Tinashe signed a worldwide publishing deal with Position Music, obtaining the publishing rights to her future releases from that point forward and her previous album BB/Ang3l (2022).[1][2] Tinashe described Quantum Baby as a project centred on deeper self-exploration, highlighting that the album reflects both her personal growth and the multidimensional nature of her artistry. In a press release, she stated that she has "never been one to be put into a box", noting that the title Quantum Baby represents the many facets that shape her creative identity.[3][4][5] The album marks as the second part of trilogy which began with her previous album, BB/Ang3l.[3]
In an interview with Elle, Tinashe expanded on the meaning behind the album's title, explaining that being a "quantum baby" symbolizes the dualities she is embracing at this stage in her life—"living in this catch-22 between being very strong and also being very vulnerable".[6] In another interview, she drew inspiration from the "quantum" paradox—how things become contradictory when examined at their smallest scale—and she related this idea to the conflicting elements within her own creative process. She highlighted that the album intentionally balances confidence and vulnerability, using this contrast to explore the opposing forces that define her artistic perspective.[7]
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Recording
Quantum Baby was recorded at Tinashe's home studio.[8] During the recording, she collaborated with experimental producers including Nosaj Thing, Machinedrum, and Billy Lemos. She noted that these producers encouraged creative risk-taking and exploration, as they "embody that freedom" and were "unafraid" to try new approaches. Tinashe further explained that she maintained an open approach at the start of an album, welcoming collaboration and diverse directions, which resulted in strong synergy with her team.[9]
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Composition
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Quantum Baby incorporates elements of pop and R&B,[10] with some critics noting stylistic similarities to Janet Jackson's song "Empty".[11] Tinashe described the album as a continuation of BB/Ang3l, noting that it is "a lot more 808-heavy", "a little bit darker", and features "more hip-hop elements".[12] Although the album was released near the end of summer, it is noted that the record maintains a consistent thematic and sonic character throughout.[10]
Music
The album opens with "No Simulation", Brandy-inspired ballad song,[13] was noted as an atmospheric opening track that features Tinashe harmonizing over moody, contemplative instrumentation.[8] "Getting No Sleep" is a electronic pop,[14] bass-driven and airy R&B track which evokes the singer's signature style as a follow-up to "Nasty".[15] According to Billboard, the track has "cool" synth chords and "skittering" beats.[16] "Thirsty" is a woozy,[17] sultry and trap-soul track.[8] "Red Flags" maintains a "hypnotic vibe",[18] as it addresses intimate disappointments like "No Broke Boys".[13] "Cross That Line" is a sleek, addictive dance song[19] which invigorates Jersey Club bassline.[18] "When I Get You Alone" is draped in a lusty, late-night haze that unfolds more gradually.[17] "No Broke Boys" features a more energetic and outspoken tone.[10] The final track of the album, "Nasty" serves as the instructive piece of the puzzle, functioning similarly to how "Needs" operated on BB/Ang3l.[20]
Promotion
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On April 8, 2024, Tinashe announced the album via her social media with the caption saying "BB/Ang3l Pt. 2 — Quantum Baby" (in all caps).[21] To celebrate the upcoming release of Quantum Baby, Tinashe hosted an exclusive listening party at Levi's House in Los Angeles, where attendees previewed the album.[22] On June 28, hours after the release of "Getting No Sleep", Tinashe announced that the album would be released on August 16.[23][4] The album's tracklist was revealed on August 1.[24]
Singles
"Nasty" serves as the lead single from the album, released on April 12, 2024.[25] The release date coincided with her performance at the 2024 Coachella Music Festival.[26][27] In late April, a Twitter user posted a video with the song behind a video of a man and woman dancing together.[28] The video, whose background music was replaced to "Nasty", went viral across social medias, to which Tinashe herself recreated the video, and it caused the song to gain traction.[29][30] On May 22, the song reached over 600k streams[31] and entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 90 on June 15, 2024,[32] becoming Tinashe's first entry on the Hot 100 since her 2016 collaboration with Britney Spears on "Slumber Party".[33] It eventually peaked at number 61.[34] "Nasty" has also peaked at number 15 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[35] Tinashe performned the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, after the release of Match My Freak EP.[23] "Getting No Sleep" was released on June 28, 2024, as the second single from the album.[4] Co-written with Billy Lemos and Nosaj Thing,[3] the music video was released on same day.[36]
"No Broke Boys" was released as a single with a music video on October 18, 2024.[37] Although the original song did not chart in Billboard Hot 100, it reached Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart, debuting and peaking at number 25[38] as well as peaking at number 13 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart,[39] becoming her twelfth and eleventh entries on the charts respectively.[40] In New Zealand, the song debuted and peaked at number 25 on the New Zealand Heatseekers chart.[41] American DJ Disco Lines remixed the song and it was released on June 6, 2025.[42] The remix went viral and finally peaked number 45 on Billboard Hot 100[34] and number 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart,[43] as well as number 2 on UK Singles Chart[44] and number 1 on UK Dance Chart.[45]
Other songs
On December 11, 2024, Tinashe released a music video for "Cross That Line", directed by Jonah Haber.[46][47]
Tour
On August 6, 2024, Tinashe officially announced the Match My Freak: World Tour.[48][49][50] The tour began its North American leg in Anaheim, California on October 14 and concluded in Sacramento, California on November 25.[51] Tinashe announced UK and European tour on October 24.[52] Raveena performed as an opening act.[53][54]
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Critical reception
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Quantum Baby was received positively by critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on twelve reviews.[56]
Steven J. Horowitz of Variety complimented the album's thematic versatility.[20] The themes of the album led to comparisons to Christine McVie by Spin's Alfred Soto and to Janet Jackson by Pitchfork's Tarisai Ngangura.[61][13] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Andy Kellman described the album as, "providing another highly concentrated shot of material that shows her moving with ease – sometimes blurring the line – between sensual slow jams and pop-flavored dance tracks."[57] Nick Seip from Slant Magazine noted that Quantum Baby, as part of a planned trilogy and paired with the concise BB/Ang3l, "starts to feel more substantial".[17] Julissa James from Los Angeles Times praised the album as a confident continuation of Tinashe's trilogy, noting that the project presents her as an artist who thrives in ambiguity and leans into the complexities of her own desires and needs.[62]
In a year-end, Russell Falcon for KTLA in Los Angeles ranked Quantum Baby in the 10th best album of the year, writing that the album "finds the R&B-pop master contemplating love in a softer and more vulnerable way that ever before" praising its "spacey" instrumentation as "some of the best atmospheres heard across any of Tinashe's work".[63]
Year-end lists
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Track listing
Notes
- ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
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Personnel
- Tinashe – vocals
- Alicia Abboud – vocals (track 7)
- Nakisa Kachingwe – vocals (track 7)
- Phoelix – keyboards (track 7)
- Ricky Reed – programming, vocal production (tracks 7, 8)
- Zack Sekoff – programming (tracks 7, 8)
- Ike Schultz – mixing, engineering (all tracks); vocal production (tracks 1–7)
- Ethan Shumaker – engineering (tracks 7, 8)
- Shane Moloney – engineering assistance (track 7)
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
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Charts
Release history
References
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