Songs for You

## ***Songs for You***Studio album by Tinashe

### Producer(s)

VariousAmbezza, Bongo, Boston, Connor McDonough, Darion Jovan, E.Y., Go Grizzly, Hit-Boy, Hitmaka, Killah B, Kingdom, MAKJ, Musik MajorX, Myles Morgan, Oliver Malcolm, OZ, Pooh Beatz, Smash David, Styalz Fuego, Tariq Beats, Tinashe, Todd Pritchard, Tony Fadd, Trackside, Turn Me Up Josh & Wax Motif

## Singles

1. "Die a Little Bit"
Released: October 24, 2019
2. "Touch & Go"
Released: November 7, 2019
3. "So Much Better"
Released: November 21, 2019
4. "Stormy Weather"
Released: December 27, 2019
5. "Save Room for Us"
Released: February 14, 2020

***Songs for You*** is the fourth studio album by American singer Tinashe, released independently through her own label Tinashe Music Inc. on November 21, 2019. It is the first project since her departure from RCA Records in February 2019. The project features collaborations with Ms Banks, 6LACK, and G-Eazy. The album has received positive reviews, with publications praising her creativity, production and songwriting, as well as for releasing music independently.

## Background

After Tinashe's previous album *Joyride* was released, she started recording her follow-up mixtape. The mixtape was based on Tinashe's alter-ego, Nashe. Both Tinashe and Hitmaka, an executive producer on the mixtape, promoted *Nashe* through snippets of songs from the track list. Further promotion continued with its singles, "Like I Used To" and "Throw a Fit", both of which used the mixtape's artwork. Promotion for *Nashe* ceased without reason; however, 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. According to Hitmaka, the mixtape was shelved. 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. 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." After her departure, HotNewHipHop.com published an article reporting that she was in the midst of a bidding war with multiple major labels. Tinashe would eventually sign a management deal with Roc Nation on November 7, 2019. Her new team includes Roc Nation's artist management Simonne Solitro.

*Songs For You* features three songs — "Link Up", "Feelings", and "Cash Race" — originally intended for Tinashe's 2018 summer project *Nashe,* produced by Hitmaka*.* 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.

## Recording

The album was recorded in Tinashe's home studio in Los Angeles. She considered her home studio as the location for the album recording as "[bringing] people into my experience, my world," and added, "I think that already set the tone for [the album], like 'OK, this is gonna be really real. This is gonna be raw.' It was truly me and that was all I was bringing to the studio, my emotions."

## Release and promotion

On September 30, 2019, Tinashe announced the project along with a trailer on YouTube. Between October and November 2019, she held listening parties for her project in London, Los Angeles and New York, and stated during the parties that *Songs for You* is her most vulnerable project to date. In an interview with Hip Hop Mike, she stated 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."

The album was released on November 21, 2019 on a Thursday 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". The album topped the iTunes Albums chart on the night of its release; the album reached the number 1 spot in multiple countries including the US, making her the first independent artist to do so since Frank Ocean's 2016 album *Blonde* topped the chart.

### 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, with an accompanying music video directed by C Prinz. The second single, "Touch & Go" featuring 6lack, was released on November 7, 2019. "So Much Better" featuring G-Eazy was released as the third single on November 21, 2019, alongside its music video directed by Mynxii White. "Stormy Weather" was released as fourth single on December 27, 2019 with the release of an accompanied video. "Save Room for Us" was made the fifth and final single on February 14, 2020 with the release of an accompanying video, and an additional remix by Makj himself. An acoustic video for album track, "Remember When", was released on April 21, 2020.

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., "Die a Little Bit" featuring Ms Banks, with producer Zhu and "Touch & Go" featuring 6lack, with producer TARRO were released respectively a week apart from each other. All remixes came with their own accompanied short visual.

### Tour

In February 2020, Tinashe announced her *Tour for You* in support of the album. Within one week, half of the dates were sold out.

The Phoenix venue was moved from the Crescent Ballroom to The Van Buren due to high demand. On April 1, 2020, Tinashe announced the postponement of the tour, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Critical reception

*Songs for You* received positive reviews from music critics. *Stereogum*'s Chris DeVille regarded the album 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 compares 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."

Madeline Roth from MTV describes *Songs for You* as "Tinashe taking full creative control over her work; something she was finally able to do [...] The result, it seems, is music that comes straight from the soul."

*Nylon*'s Allison Stubblebine said that "Tinashe is the R&B superstar we've been looking for, and now that her first-ever independent album *Songs for You* has dropped, it's time to throw it on repeat and give her the praise she deserves. There's not a single bad song on the record: Concluding at 51 minutes, the 15-track release showcases everything Tinashe does best."<ref>"Tinashe's 'Songs For You' Is Your Next Favorite Album" - *Nylon Magazine.*

## References

1. ↑ "Tinashe: Songs for You Album Review" - *Pitchfork.*
2. ↑ "Tinashe Takes Control On Her Genre-Hopping New Album Songs For You" - *MTV News.*
3. ↑ "Tinashe's 'Songs For You' Is Your Next Favorite Album" *NYLON.*
4. ↑ "Hear Tinashe Unload on Ex on New Single 'Like I Used To'" - *Rolling Stone.*
5. ↑ "Tinashe Is 'On a Wave' With Surprise Track 'Like I Used To': Listen" - *Billboard.*
6. ↑ "Tinashe Brings Out Her Spicy Alter Ego on 'Throw A Fit'" - *Complex.*
7. ↑ "Tinashe shares Songs For You" - *The FADER.*
8. ↑ "Tinashe's Trials And Tribulations In The Music Industry" - *Lindah Kiyeng Communications.*
9. ↑ "Tinashe Is Creatively Rejuvenated in New Album 'Songs for You'" - *HYPEBEAST.*
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Tinashe Is Under New Management: Her Own" - *PAPER.*
11. ↑ "Tinashe Signs With Roc Nation Management" - *Vibe.*
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Finally Free: Tinashe is Leaving Her Label Issues in the Past & Making the Music She Loves" - *Billboard.*
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Stream Tinashe's New Album 'Songs for You'" - *Rap-Up.*
14. ↑ "#SONGSFORYOU by @Tinashe reaches #1 on iTunes USA!" - *MusicNewsFact.*
15. ↑ "Tinashe Will Embark on a Tour For You: See the New Dates" - *Billboard.*
16. ↑ "Tinashe Announces 'Tour For You' North America Dates" - *HYPEBEAST.*
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "All these Songs For You, baby on Instagram: "Half the shows are completely sold out already 😻😻😻😻..." - *Instagram.*
18. ↑ "How Tinashe Toed the Line Between 'Sexy & Classy' on Her G-Eazy Collaboration" - *Billboard.*
19. ↑ "All these Songs For You, baby on Instagram: "Soooo saaaaaaaad to finally announce this, but I've been stalling, hoping for a different outcome..." - *Instagram.*
20. ↑ "Tinashe Takes Matters Into Her Own Hands" - *Stereogum.*
21. ↑ "Tinashe Takes Control On Her Genre-Hopping New Album Songs For You" - *MTV News.*

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