"All Hands on Deck" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Tinashe | ||||
from the album Aquarius | ||||
Released | February 24, 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2013–2014 | |||
Studio | DownTown (New York City) | |||
Genre | Crunk&B, snap | |||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
Tinashe singles chronology | ||||
|
"All Hands on Deck" is a song recorded by American singer Tinashe for her debut studio album, Aquarius (2014). It was written by Tinashe, Bebe Rexha, Stargate, and Cashmere Cat, and produced by the latter two. An uptempo crunk&B and snap song, "All Hands on Deck" contains a prominent pan flute breakdown, a thick bassline and "club-friendly" beat, and has been described as the "sister song" to the album's lead single "2 On." The track's lyrical content comprises a dance instructional and portrays a scenario of retaining confidence, and rebound dating after a break-up, and contain themes of girl power and self empowerment. On February 22, 2015, a remix version of the song premiered online featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, and received a digital-only release on February 24. Serving as the third single from Aquarius, it impacted urban contemporary radio and was released as a digital download in the United States on February 24, 2015.
The song garnered positive reviews from music critics who commended its club appeal and Tinashe's vocals, while also naming it as a highlight on the album. Azalea's verse on the promotional remix version was also well-received, with critics opining that her addition was beneficial for the track's airplay prospects. Tinashe has performed "All Hands on Deck" for radio stations KPWR and Nova 106.9, and as part of her set list for her Aquarius Tour (2014–15).
"All Hands on Deck" was written by Tinashe, Bebe Rexha, Stargate and Cashmere Cat, and produced by the latter two. Stargate and Cashmere Cat were also responsible for the track's instrumentation and programming, while the former recorded the song with Tinashe at DownTown Studios in New York City. "All Hands on Deck" was then mixed by Phil Tan at the Ninja Club in Atlanta, Georgia, and mastered by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace, New York City. Other personnel involved included Tim Blacksmith and Danny D. as executive producers, and Daniela Rivera as an assistant engineer. [1] The song's title was first revealed in the announcement of the Aquarius track listing on August 27, 2014. [2] Tinashe then uploaded the original version of "All Hands on Deck" to her SoundCloud page along with the rest of the album on September 30, 2014. [3] Rexha announced the song's single release on January 23, 2015, on Snapchat. [4] On February 9, 2015, Tinashe announced that the single's release will be accompanied by a new version of the song which will contain a new verse from a guest feature. In an interview with WZMX, she stated, "I wanted to put out something that's a little fresh, because the song has been on the album for a few months, so I wanted to give somebody a brand new verse, a little something-something". [5]
On February 21, 2015, Tinashe posted the single's cover art on her Instagram account. [6] A remix version of "All Hands on Deck" was premiered by Perez Hilton on February 22, 2015, featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea rapping the song's new verse. The official remix was released as a promotional single for The Great Escape Tour, that both Azalea and Tinashe were scheduled to be a part of during the Spring 2015. [7] It received its radio premiere on WZMX on February 23, 2015. [7] Serving as the third single from Aquarius, [8] it impacted urban contemporary radio and was released as a digital download in the United States on February 24, 2015. [9] [10] "All Hands on Deck" was commercially released in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2015. [11] Another remix featuring DeJ Loaf was released on June 8, 2015. [12]
"All Hands on Deck" is an up-tempo crunk&B and club track which contains elements of snap, West Coast hip hop, [13] grime [14] and late 1990s-early 2000s R&B. [15] It comprises a thick bassline, [16] crunk-oriented "club-friendly" finger snaps, [17] thudding synthesizers [18] and a pan flute breakdown. [19] [20] Noted to be a shift from the more sweet and coy-sounding tracks on Aquarius, [21] Tinashe solicits a snarling technique in her vocal delivery, [19] together with a more upbeat attitude and in contrast with Azalea's braggadocio. [14] [18] On the promotional remix single, Azalea's rapped verse occurs halfway through the song's duration, [22] at its bridge, with the rapper announcing herself as "Iggs". [14] Described as the "sister song" to Aquarius lead single "2 On", [23] "All Hands on Deck" also garnered comparisons to Cassie's "Long Way 2 Go" (2006), [20] Ying Yang Twins' "Whistle While You Twurk" (2000), [16] and the works of DJ Mustard. [24] While Azalea's verse was noted to recall her single "Fancy" (2014). [25]
The song's lyrical content was noted to combine a dance instructional with the subject of caustic post-break-up stunting, namely in the lyric, "Kiss the old me goodbye / She's dead and gone". [19] It portrays a scenario of a woman retaining her confidence and embracing her love life after a break-up. [26] Iyana Robinson of Vibe viewed the track as a "good-girl-gone-bad anthem," in which Tinashe and Azalea are "bossy and sexed-up". [13] The track also discusses rebound dating, manifested in the lyrics, "When you left, you left me with no choice / I'm looking for a boy to fill this empty void". [16] While Azalea's verse describes the scenario where a new lover finds interest in her style and prowess, "Every night, a different city, different time zone / All I wanna do is get my shine in / Far as fashion and this rappin', I'm who run it now / Walk-throughs cost a hundred thou/ Yo, I'm Iggy, ow". [18] The lyrics were also noted to contain themes of girl power and self empowerment. [14]
"All Hands on Deck" garnered critical acclaim from music critics. Aimee Cliff of Fact said the track was "another bouncy club banger" from the singer. [27] Alex Macpherson of The Quietus called it "irresistible". [28] Exclaim! writer Jabbari Weekes said that while the song's title depicts a "buzzword for a sea foraging adventure," its "water-inspired" motif added cohesiveness and helped entice listeners on the album. [29] Bradley Stern of MuuMuse wrote that the track provided a "truly nasty, finger-snapping alarm call for the dancefloor," and commended its "powerhouse" chorus, and flute instrumentation. Stern went on to comment, "If the 'flute chorus' is the new horn chorus' in pop in 2015, you can peg Tinashe as the trailblazer for the movement". [20] In a review of Aquarius, Pitchfork Media's Meaghan Garvey deemed "All Hands on Deck" the album's "sole answer to the club-readiness of '2 On'". [19] Writing for Complex , Garvey named it the highlight on Aquarius and commented, "how can you go wrong with ratchet pan flutes?". [30] Similarly, Forrest Wickman of Slate opined that it was the sole track on Aquarius that came closest to the "intoxicating heights" of "2 On". [31] "All Hands on Deck" was also called "the standout cut" on the album by Nolan Feeney of Time . [15]
Natalie Weiner of Pigeons & Planes deemed "All Hands on Deck" a "stellar" track and commended Tinashe's "smooth" vocals. [25] Music Times writer Ryan Middleton viewed it as one of the "vastly underrated" tracks on the album and opined that Azalea's verse should assist it in receiving "the shine it deserved in the first place". [32] HotNewHipHop's Trevor Smith wrote that Azalea's verse "bolstered" the song and that its airplay would benefit from it as a result. [33] Similarly, Maurice Bobb of MTV News called Azalea's verse "catchy," and said that the single had "the sonic fuel to really set the charts on fire" and match the success of "2 On". [17] Fuse's Jeff Benjamin wrote that Azalea's braggadocio meshed well with Tinashe's empowering lyrics on "All Hands on Deck," and concluded that the track became one of 2015's "first awesome girl-power anthems" and was "in prime position to become a hit". [14]
The New York Times writer Jon Caramanica described "All Hands on Deck" as a "high-quality copy" of "2 On" and one of the album's "knowing ploys". [34] In a negative review, Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani said the song sounded "utterly generic" in comparison with other tracks on Aquarius. [35] While Reed Jackson of XXL called the track "flimsy" and felt Tinashe's vocal was buried "underneath a stew of seemingly every sound DJ Mustard has introduced to the hip-hop world to over the past two years". [24]
Tinashe has stated that the track is among her favorite songs to perform live, along with "2 On" and "Bated Breath". [36] She first performed "All Hands on Deck" in an in-studio live rendition for KPWR on October 14, 2014. [37] Tinashe later sang the track at the iHeartMedia Music Summit on January 21, 2015, [38] and reprised it in a performance for Australian radio station Nova 106.9 on February 20, 2015. [39] "All Hands on Deck" was also performed as part of Tinashe's set list for her Aquarius Tour (2014–15). In a review of the tour's stop at Rams Head Live!, Rated R&B's Keithan Samuels said the singer "lit up the stage with her electrifying dance moves" during her rendition of the song. [40] Tinashe and Iggy Azalea performed the remix version of the track for the first time at the Washington State Fair on September 22, 2015. [41]
On March 11, 2015, an official lyric video for the remix version of the song premiered on Tinashe's Vevo account. [42] On the same day, Tinashe confirmed during an interview with FunX FM in Amsterdam that a music video for the song had just been shot and she was "really excited." [43] On March 24, 2015, she shared a sneak peek with Style.com/Arabia saying, "the music video is coming out very soon, so definitely be on the lookout for that. It’s my second single and I’m really excited to share a sneak peek with you." [44] On April 3, 2015, Tinashe announced through her Facebook account that the video would premiere on the following Monday, April 6, [45] and shared a photo diary from the video shoot on the same day with Paper . [46] The official music video for the song (directed by Ben Mor) was filmed at a shipyard in Long Beach, California and premiered on April 6, 2015. [47] Azalea later revealed she was meant to appear in the visuals but could not make the shoot date. [48]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [64] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [65] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Version | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | February 24, 2015 | Urban contemporary radio | Album version | RCA | [9] |
Digital download | Iggy Azalea version | [10] | |||
Australia | [49] | ||||
United Kingdom | July 31, 2015 | [11] |
Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe, known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California as a child, where she pursued work in entertainment. Her notable roles include a motion-capture performance in the animated film The Polar Express (2004), Robin Wheeler in the Cartoon Network television series Out of Jimmy's Head (2007–2008), and a recurring role in the CBS series Two and a Half Men (2008–2009). From 2007 to 2011, she was a member of the girl group the Stunners. After they disbanded, Tinashe released her first musical project, the alternative R&B-styled mixtape In Case We Die (2012) to positive critical reception, and signed with RCA Records shortly after. Her second and third mixtapes, Reverie (2012) and Black Water (2013), received further praise.
Amethyst Amelia Kelly, known professionally as Iggy Azalea, is an Australian rapper, songwriter, model and businesswoman. Born in Sydney, Australia, Azalea moved to the United States at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognition after releasing the music videos for her songs "Pussy" and "Two Times" on YouTube. Shortly after releasing those two songs, she released her debut mixtape, Ignorant Art (2011), and subsequently signed a recording contract with American rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle label.
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea has released three studio albums, five extended plays (EPs), two mixtapes and seventeen singles. In September 2011, Azalea released her first mixtape, Ignorant Art. Following the release, Azalea signed a recording contract with T.I.'s record label Grand Hustle. In July 2012, she released a free EP entitled Glory, and in October of that year, Azalea released her second mixtape, TrapGold.
"Work" is the debut single recorded by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea for her debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was released as the album's lead single on 17 March 2013. The track was written by Azalea, Trocon Markous Roberts, Natalie Sims, and The Invisible Men who produced it with 1st Down of FKi. Hailed by Azalea as her most personal song, "Work" was developed with motivational and inspirational intentions to portray her life story; specifically dealing with her struggle as an up-and-coming rapper, and her relocation from Mullumbimby, New South Wales, to Miami, Florida, at age 16. In sequence with its lyrical story, the snap and trap track begins with a sad-stringed verse segment before significantly increasing in tempo at its drum and synth-heavy refrain.
"Change Your Life" is a song recorded by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea for her debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It features guest vocals by American rapper T.I. Initially a demo by Indian-American songwriter Raja Kumari, the song's final composition was co-written by Azalea, Natalie Sims, Kumari, the song's producers The Messengers, Lovy Longomba and T.I. It is a mid-tempo dub-step and synthpop song inspired by Azalea's personal dating experiences, and comprises bass-driven and synth-heavy production. Described by Azalea as "a kind of rap duet", it features her singing on a track for the first time which she took upon to showcase growth and versatility from her previous material.
"Fancy" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Charli XCX, taken from the former's debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was released on 17 February 2014 by Def Jam Recordings as the fourth single from the album. "Fancy" was described as an electro-hop, electropop, and pop rap song. It was written by Azalea and XCX, composed and produced by production team the Invisible Men, alongside additional producers the Arcade. It was leaked under the title "Leave It" in December 2013.
"2 On" is the debut single by American singer Tinashe, released on January 21, 2014 as her first commercial single and the lead single from her debut studio album Aquarius (2014). The song features a guest verse from American rapper Schoolboy Q, songwriting credits from both artists alongside Bobby Brackins, and production from DJ Mustard, Jon Redwine, and DJ Marley Waters, who are also credited as songwriters. It also features an interpolation from the 2005 single "We Be Burnin'" by Jamaican recording artist Sean Paul, resulting in additional writing credits for Cezar Cunningham, Sean Paul, Steven Marsden, Delano Thomas, Michael Jarrett, and Craig Serani Marsh.
"Black Widow" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Rita Ora. Released through Def Jam Recordings, the song impacted on mainstream radio stations in the US on 8 July 2014, as the fifth single from her debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was written by Azalea, Katy Perry, Sarah Hudson, Benny Blanco, and duo Stargate, while the latter also produced the song. Lyrically, it addressed revenge after a failed romantic relationship. An accompanying music video for the song was released on 13 August 2014.
"Booty" is a song recorded by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her eighth studio album, A.K.A. (2014). It was written and produced by Cory Rooney, Lopez, and Benny Medina, with additional writing from Chris Brown, Pitbull, Diplo, and others. "Booty" samples "Dat a Freak", a song by Diplo and Swick. Initially entitled "Big Booty", the song was first rejected by Lopez who did not like the idea of having a song with a title like that. However, after playing the demo for her kids and seeing that they enjoyed the track, Lopez was convinced to record it.
Aquarius is the debut studio album by American singer Tinashe, released on October 3, 2014, by RCA Records. In 2011, after the disbandment of the girl group The Stunners, Tinashe announced that she would begin pursuing a solo career. The following year she released her debut mixtape In Case We Die. After raising her profile with the mixtape, Tinashe met with RCA Records where she subsequently signed a recording contract. Following her signing a record deal, Tinashe immediately began working on the album. During the recording process for the debut album, she released two other mixtapes, Reverie (2012) and Black Water (2013).
"Pretend" is a song by American singer Tinashe. It was released as her second single from her debut album Aquarius. The song, which was produced by producer Detail, features a guest verse from Harlem-based rapper ASAP Rocky.
"Beg for It" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, featuring Danish singer MØ. It was written by Azalea and Charli XCX. The song was released on 24 October 2014 as the lead single from the reissue of Azalea's debut studio album The New Classic (2014), titled Reclassified (2014). An initial live preview of the song in September 2014 resulted in widespread media speculation that it featured XCX as the sequel to "Fancy", XCX's previous collaboration with Azalea. However, it was later revealed that XCX wrote the track's hook for MØ, who Azalea discovered on YouTube. A hip hop and trap song, "Beg for It" contains a percolating, booming stark beat and solicits a sinuous, minimalist feel. Its lyrical content comprises themes of girl power and prominently figures the phrase "pussy power".
"Trouble" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring American recording artist Jennifer Hudson, taken from Reclassified, the former's 2014 reissue of her debut studio album The New Classic. The song was produced by The Invisible Men and Salt Wives.
"Drop That Kitty" is a song by American singer Ty Dolla Sign featuring British singer Charli XCX and fellow American singer Tinashe, who all wrote the track with its producers Stargate and Cashmere Cat. It was released as digital download in the United States on February 17, 2015, originally intended as the first single from Free TC but was later scrapped. Sign sings the track's main verses, while XCX sings its chorus and Tinashe its bridge and pre-chorus hook. The lyrical content in the song serve as a four-step dance instructional and contain several sexual euphemisms and innuendos. It discusses a scenario of meeting someone attractive in a club and communicating basest desires to them, while extolling the virtues of physical flexibility.
American singer Tinashe has released seven studio albums, four mixtapes, two extended plays and fifty-eight singles, including twenty-seven as a featured artist. Tinashe's debut album, Aquarius, was released in 2014. The lead single from the album was "2 On" and featured rapper ScHoolboy Q. "2 On" peaked at 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the US rhythmic chart and was certified platinum in the US by the RIAA and in Australia by the ARIA. In September 2015, Tinashe announced the tentative title of her second album, Joyride. Following delays in the album's release, Tinashe released the digital album Nightride in 2016. On January 18, 2018, Tinashe released the lead single from 2018 album Joyride, titled "No Drama" featuring Offset. Two more singles, "Faded Love" featuring Future and "Me So Bad" featuring Ty Dolla Sign and French Montana preceded the album.
Survive the Summer is the fourth extended play by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. It was released on 3 August 2018 by Island Records. Work began in mid-2017. Survive the Summer contains production by Bedrock, Ronny J, GT and Wallis Lane.
"No Broken Hearts" is a song recorded by American singer Bebe Rexha featuring Nicki Minaj. It was released on March 16, 2016, and was originally intended as the lead single from her second EP All Your Fault: Pt. 1, however it is no longer on the track list of any project. It premiered on the Elvis Duran Show on NYC's Z100. The song was written by Rexha, Minaj, Koko LaRoo, Kgaugelo Nalane and Jacob Kasher Hindlin and produced by The Invisible Men and Saltwives.
"Dance Like Nobody's Watching" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and American singer-songwriter Tinashe. It was released on 21 August 2020, intended as the lead single from Azalea's third studio album The End of an Era. It was later revealed that it would no longer serve as a lead single and would be a standalone single.
The End of an Era is the third and final studio album by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. It was released independently on 13 August 2021 through Azalea's label Bad Dreams Records and Empire Distribution, with the deluxe edition following on 17 September 2021. Taking inspiration from the end of her 20s for the title, Azalea stated that she wanted the album to be a "time capsule" of that decade of her life. The End of an Era includes guest appearances from Bia, Sophia Scott and Ellise on the standard edition, while Alice Chater and Tyga are featured on the deluxe edition. Production was handled by Azalea's frequent collaborator J. White Did It and several others. It was preceded by three singles: "Sip It", "Brazil" and "Iam the Stripclub".
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)