Songs for You is the fourth studio album by American singer Tinashe. It was released independently through her own label Tinashe Music Inc. on November 21, 2019. The album is her first release following her departure from RCA Records earlier that year and her signing of a management deal with Roc Nation. Songs for You incorporates a variety of musical styles such as R&B, G-funk, 1980s pop, acoustic arrangements, drum-and-bass, and trap-influenced production, and it highlights Tinashe's versatility and light soprano vocals.
Songs for You features previously unreleased material from her shelved 2018 project Nashe, alongside new songs written and recorded in her Los Angeles home studio. The album was promoted through singles including "Die a Little Bit", "Touch & Go", and "Save Room for Us", as well as accompanying music videos, listening parties, and a short North American tour.
The album received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Tinashe's creative autonomy, cohesion, and range across styles. Commercially, Songs for You reached number 147 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number 20 on the US Top R&B Albums chart.
Background
An American producer Hitmaka was an executive producer of Tinashe's upcoming mixtape, Nashe.
After Tinashe's previous album, Joyride (2018), she started to tease her follow-up mixtape.[1] The mixtape was based on Tinashe's alter-ego, Nashe.[2] Tinashe promoted Nashe through snippets of songs from the tracklist with Hitmaka, an executive producer on the mixtape.[3] Further promotion continued with its singles, "Like I Used To" and "Throw a Fit", both of which used the mixtape's artwork.[4][5][2] However, promotion for Nashe was ceased for unknown reasons.[6] Speculation arose after Tinashe posted a screenshot on Instagram of a page error from RCA's website with a broken heart as the caption to the post.[7] According to Hitmaka, the mixtape was shelved.[6] The cancellation of Nashe, described as a "failed course-correction" by Paper, became a turning point in her decision to depart from RCA, among other reasons.[8] Tinashe later cited "creative differences" as a significant factor in her dissatisfaction with the label, stating that these tensions began to affect her overall experience and the material she was able to release.[9] In February 2019, Tinashe's then-manager Mike Nazzaro announced her departure from RCA, citing: "We initiated for her to be released. It was a positive split for her. It's giving her back creative control."[10][11] Tinashe would eventually sign a management deal with Roc Nation on November 7, 2019.[12]
Between October and November 2019, she held listening parties for her project in London. In an interview with Hip Hop Mike, she stated that Songs for You is her "most vulnerable project to date" and her direction for the album as, "a real experience that they could really sink their teeth into. There are a few moments that are in your feels. I had to really open myself up. It's the most vulnerable project I've ever put out."[13]MadeinTYO was originally featured on the tracklist after it was teased throughout the listening parties, but the collaboration was scrapped after the producer gave the beat to another artist.[14]
Recording
Songs for You was recorded in Tinashe's home studio in Los Angeles. She described the choice of location as a way of "bringing people into my experience, my world", as she noted that it set the tone for a project that felt "real" and "raw", driven primarily by her emotions.[13] During the sessions, Tinashe frequently collaborated with musicians in an informal, improvisational environment; she recalled moments such as her drummer creating a percussive rhythm by drumming on a table, which was recorded on an iPhone and incorporated directly into the track. She characterized the overall process as experimental and playful and emphasized the creative freedom that defined the album's development.[15]
Composition
According to Paste, Songs for You incorporates a wide range of musical styles, including moody R&B, G-funk influences, 1980s pop elements, acoustic arrangements, drum-and-bass rhythms, and trap-oriented production. The project moves between these styles—at times within a single track—while maintaining Tinashe's characteristic light, soprano vocal delivery.[16] The album also features three songs, "Link Up", "Feelings", and "Cash Race", originally intended for Tinashe's 2018 summer project Nashe, produced by Hitmaka.[17]
Release and promotion
On October 2019, Tinashe announced the project along with a trailer on YouTube.[18] On November 14, 2019, Tinashe officially announced the album's artwork and release date.[19] The album was released on Thursaday, November 21 instead of the music industry's customary releases of Friday. Tinashe stated in an interview with Billboard that she wanted to emphasize her stance in the music industry as "not part of the system".[14]
Singles
The first single, "Die a Little Bit" (featuring Ms Banks), was released as the lead single from Songs for You on October 24, 2019,[20][21] with an accompanying music video directed by C Prinz.[22] The second single, "Touch & Go" featuring 6lack, was released on November 7.[23] "Save Room for Us" was made the third and final single on February 14, 2020 with the release of an accompanying video,[24] and an additional remix by Makj himself.[25]
From June 26, 2020 to July 10, 2020, a remix of a song from the album would be released each Friday. "Hopscotch" with American R&B duo THEY.,[26] "Die a Little Bit" featuring Ms Banks, with producer Zhu[27] and "Touch & Go" featuring 6lack, with producer TARRO were released respectively a week apart from each other.[28] All remixes came with their own accompanied short visual.[29]
Other songs
The music video for "So Much Better" (featuring G-Eazy), which was directed by Mynxii White, premiered on November 22, 2019.[30][31][32] The music video for "Stormy Weather", premiered on December 27.[33] An acoustic video for the album's track, "Remember When", was released on April 21, 2020.[34]
Tour
In February 2020, Tinashe announced the tour, titled Tour for You, in support of the album.[35][36][37] The tour was set to begin on April 20 at Detroit at Saint Andrews Hall,[38] and it included performances in major North American cities such as Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Toronto, and concluded in Seattle.[39] Even though multiple shows across the United States and Canada sold out within the first few hours of ticket release,[40] the tour was ultimately cancelled in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement posted to social media, Tinashe confirmed the cancellation and assured fans that refunds would be issued at the point of purchase.[41]
Songs for You received positive reviews from music critics. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Songs for You received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[42]
Chris Taylor of The Line of Best Fit described the album as a "re-debut" that marks a creative reset, praising its sense of freedom. The writer noted that it represents the kind of project Tinashe had long wanted to make, ultimately calling it a triumphant return that reaffirms her artistic resilience.[44]Stereogum's Chris DeVille regarded Songs for You as sonically "[feeling] like freedom. Liberated from label meddling, she has assembled a fine reminder of what made her so likeable in the first place", and compared the overall sound for the album as "the vibe is that of an extremely talented R&B artist getting back to cooking after a deep, cleansing exhale."[49] Joshua Bote of Paste praised the album as a clear affirmation of Tinashe's renewed independence, noting that Songs for You serves as "a testament to her intentionally preserving her autonomy and talent" and succeeding entirely on her own terms.[47] Eric Torres from Pitchfork praised it as a confident return to form and noted that its blend of moody R&B, dance-pop, and trap elements feels markedly more effortless than her previous major-label work. He concluded that, despite the years of industry setbacks preceding it, Songs for You represents an artist who has finally found her equilibrium.[48]
Nylon's Allison Stubblebine praised the project for its consistency and versatility, noting that "there's not a single bad song on the record". The author concluded that the album serves as clear evidence of Tinashe's "serious range", emphasizing her ability to navigate multiple styles without compromising cohesion.[50] Madeline Roth of MTV News noted that Songs for You represents Tinashe exercising full creative control for the first time following her departure from RCA Records and her new management deal with Roc Nation. She highlighted that this autonomy allowed Tinashe to craft music directly reflecting her personal artistic vision, with Tinashe herself describing the album's creative process as particularly revealing and emotionally impactful.[51] Destine Manson from Washington Square News highlighted Tinashe's versatility and cohesion on the album, noting that it blends elements from her previous releases—Aquarius, Nightride, and Joyride—into a "moody" and unified style. She further observed that the album showcases Tinashe's growth as a performer, emphasizing her skills as a singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress, while connecting with fans of her earlier, sultry work.[52]
In a mixed assessment, NME noted that the album's rapid shifts between genres make it feel "unfocused", suggesting that its stylistic jumps—from R&B to rap to pop and EDM—can create a disjointed listening experience.[46]
"Hopscotch" contains a hidden track called "Like Me" starting at 1:53.
"Cash Race" contains a hidden track called "All Eyes on Me" starting at 1:38.
"Link Up" contains a hidden track called "Naked" starting at 2:08.
"Know Better" contains a hidden track called "Did You Notice?" starting at 2:53.[64]
"So Much Better" contains a hidden track called "Soul Food" starting at 2:50 and resung lyrics from "Midnight Sun", written by Tinashe, Craig Balmoris and Julian Nixon.[65]
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