Tinashe02.14.24
Toronto, ON
I've been following Tinashe's career for a while, way back to the Aquarius days, when I was searching for artists with a dark R&B sound similar to that of The Weeknd.
I've only become a bigger fan since, especially since she went independent with Songs For You in 2019 and followed that up with 333 during the pandemic. Now we're right back into the thick of things with post-pandemic live music, and she is back with a new mini-album BB/Ang3l, attached to a tour with this show in Toronto at Danforth Music Hall!
A weekday show in Toronto (on Valentine's Day nonetheless) was a bit of a tough swing, but I knew I had to make it work, having never had the chance to see her before. Took the day off work and got bus tickets -- same day, overnight return so as to not spend the night in Toronto.
If you don't know Tinashe already, then the best way to describe her is as a triple threat -- singing, rapping, and dancing. And this show offered all of that, with a heavy emphasis on the dancing. Following an opening set from UNIIQU3, she rolled out with a dance crew, and together they did not let up for pretty much her entire set. Obviously meticulously choreographed and synchronized, really bringing a renewed energy to these songs that you just can't get by listening to the studio recordings. I felt the same way with Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia tour last year.
Kicking it off with "Treason" was so slick, and I loved hearing "Stormy Weather" alongside a selection of songs from Songs For You. Loved the mashup of "Gravity" and "Superlove" near the end of the set, which wrapped up orderly just after 10pm.
And I believe she will be back with a second half to this album at some point this year. No doubt it will be another really solid project, and a great companion to BB/Ang3l.
