All Hands On Deck

"All Hands on Deck" is a song recorded by American singer Tinashe. It was the third single off of her debut studio album, *Aquarius*.

The song was preformed live at the Honda Show.

## Background

"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. The song's title was first revealed in the announcement of the *Aquarius* track listing on August 27, 2014. 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. Rexha announced the song's single release on January 23, 2015, on Snapchat. 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".

## Lyrics

[Chorus]

All hands on deck

All in the front, all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front, all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind like that

[Verse 1]

Wasted heart

When you left me, you left me with no choice

I'm looking for a boy to fill this empty void

Kiss the old me goodbye she's dead and gone, dead and gone, oh

Wasted heart

You took the last bit of love I've ever had

You took a good girl and you turned me oh so bad

Kiss the old me goodbye she's dead and gone, dead and gone, oh

[Chorus]

All hands on deck

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind like that

All hands on deck

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All hands on deck

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind like that

[Verse 2]

Wasted heart

Done here's to death do us apart

I watch you fold like a house of cards

Kiss the old me goodbye she's dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone oh

One by one, I watch you fall down, watch you fall like dominoes

Take no prisoners, search and destroy

Baby look at what you've done

One by one, I watch 'em go down, watch 'em fall like dominoes

Watch 'em go down, watch 'em go down, watch 'em go down

[Chorus]

All hands on deck

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind like that

[Bridge]

And you know that I tried

Really gave my all

Everything we built

Baby you let it fall, you let it fall

And now you want me

Want me back now

And the thing that's so funny

Cause baby I'm long gone, I'm long gone

[Chorus]

All hands on deck

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind like that

All hands on deck

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'mma blow your mind like that

## Critical reception

"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. Alex Macpherson of *The Quietus* called it "irresistible". *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. 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". 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'". Writing for *Complex*, Garvey named it the highlight on *Aquarius* and commented, "how can you go wrong with ratchet pan flutes?". Similarly, Forrest Wickman of *Slate* opined that it was the sole track on *Aquarius* that came closest to the "intoxicating heights" of "2 On". "All Hands on Deck" was also called "the standout cut" on the album by Nolan Feeney of *Time*. Natalie Weiner of Pigeons & Planes deemed "All Hands on Deck" a "stellar" track and commended Tinashe's "smooth" vocals. *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". HotNewHipHop's Trevor Smith wrote that Azalea's verse "bolstered" the song and that its airplay would benefit from it as a result. 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". 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".

*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". In a negative review, Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani said the song sounded "utterly generic" in comparison with other tracks on *Aquarius*. 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".

Tinashe has stated that the track is among her favorite songs to perform live, along with "2 On" and "Bated Breath". She first performed "All Hands on Deck" in an in-studio live rendition for KPWR on October 14, 2014. Tinashe later sang the track at the iHeartMedia Music Summit on January 21, 2015, and reprised it in a performance for Australian radio station Nova 106.9 on February 20, 2015. "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. Tinashe and Iggy Azalea performed the remix version of the track for the first time at the Washington State Fair on September 22, 2015.

## Music video

On March 11, 2015, an official lyric video for the remix version of the song premiered on Tinashe's Vevo account. 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." 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." On April 3, 2015, Tinashe announced through her Facebook account that the video would premiere on the following Monday, April 6, and shared a photo diary from the video shoot on the same day with *Paper*. 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. Azalea later revealed she was meant to appear in the visuals but could not make the shoot date.

## Trivia

* Tinashe describes the song as being about a girl who’s been done wrong and now she’s ready to just live her life and turn over a new leaf and become a new reinvented person.
* This song was the chosen from her fans to be the third single.

* 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.