Every pop star needs to take notes from Tinashe’s ‘Popstar’

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Tinashe gave her take on the general perception of pop: “People have a very narrow understanding of what pop means nowadays, and it’s very clean, it’s very mainstream, it’s very white, and it’s very contrived. … It’s nice to question that.” This may be the most critical observation from any musician this year.

Tinashe’s claim is very intentionally phrased. She’s not attacking her pop contemporaries; she’s critiquing the idea of what pop is within our cultural consciousness, and she is completely right to do so. Pop in 2026 is often presented as a pleasant, playlistable vibe. It’s a style that you adopt, not a conversation you add to.

Furthermore, the predominately Black musical history of America that has always served as the inspiration for pop music is rarely at the forefront of most consumers’ thoughts. Not only are pop music’s most popular stars often white, but when Black auteurs revive older subgenres, their white counterparts adopt a flattened, department store version of their sound and audiences seem to enjoy both equally.

This is what makes Popstar such an invigorating record from beginning to end. It’s artsy and left-field in all of the ways that an alternative artist should be, but it’s also extremely accessible — both in its intuitive pop sensibility and its unmistakable entrenchment in foundational Black genres like synth-pop, ’90s R&B, techno, hip-hop and more. These two constants across the album reveal Tinashe’s genius. Her desire to bring her colorful influences into a conversation that is more Black and mainstream creates a collage of sound that is wholly unique.

“Flashbacks” is one the record’s most ingenious and inventive moments, placing itself somewhere between Björk and Janet Jackson. Minimalist electronica meshes bizarrely with Tinashe’s syncopated rap-sung vocals and eerie falsetto refrains. The track creates a kaleidoscope of erotic memories, flashing between them in a strange, nonlinear fashion that truly enhances the listening experience. Tinashe proves that she, too, can accomplish a similar feeling with pop-rap, as the spacious twinkling pianos and confident sexual chorus of “Pillow Fight” are another unexpected match made in heaven.

Confidence is another cornerstone of this album, as Tinashe feels fully free to flaunt her sexuality, her star power and her willingness to knock haters down a peg. It’s her saying, “I’m in the big leagues now, and I’ve always deserved to be here.” Her adversarial tone is infectious, prompting a wave of “uplifting Tinashe” on social media to root for her.

If you weren’t already on her side, the face-scrunching West Coast beat and fighting words of “Crash Out” will definitely convert you. There won’t be another track this year featuring a voice so angelic yet a presence so charismatic and threatening.

However, her sneering remarks at her haters don’t end there. “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” and “Melatonin” place Tinashe right in the middle of the club, bringing the dance floor to life as she completely dismisses any onlookers. Clearly, Tinashe misses when pop music made people excited, and this album’s shades of pop are throwing everything at the wall to give you the sugary euphoria a pop song ought to.

Part of this album’s euphoria is Tinashe herself. She maintains a vocal presence and singing ability that lends a power to these art pop fusions that rarely get such an all-star treatment. On “Empty Stadium,” Tinashe elevates a U.K. synth-pop jam, as the lonely whistling synths and timid breakbeats that may otherwise fall flat become supercharged with a soulful performance. Its restraint makes for an elegant contrast to the record’s club bangers.

“Cloud 9” does the very opposite, catapulting the listener above the clouds with a hypnotic anthem that brings Tinashe all the way out of her shell. Belting “I never felt this way before,” Tinashe brings a naive and blissful energy that could only be carried over the finish line by a truly talented singer. Track after track, she proves herself a versatile and intentional vocalist with a clear vision for song craft.

Few albums in recent memory strike the balance that Tinashe has with Popstar. It takes no issue with submerging itself in the bizarre, but also consciously grabs the listener’s attention with every catchy refrain and trunk-knocking instrumental. It’s addictive, even when it’s not trying to be.

Pop, in its most accessible form, has always been an amalgamation of the most groundbreaking and innovative sounds in music. It is not — nor should it be — a one-size-fits-all aesthetic that we corral artists into. Nirvana is pop, Lauryn Hill is pop, Radiohead is pop, Lady Gaga is pop and now, at her boldest and most exciting, Tinashe is pop.

Daily Arts Writer Nathaniel Evans can be reached at natevan@umich.edu .

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