Following the success of her summer single "2 On," Tinashe may be one of the most sought after upcoming R&B singers, at least that what the folks over at the New York Times think. Reporter Jon Caramanica recently reviewed her forthcoming debut album, and in the process he made some bold comments regarding Beyoncé and even threw shade at Jhene Aiko.
It's stunning how in recent years mainstream female R&B has effectively been distilled down to one word: Beyoncé. Yes, there is Rihanna, who has always been more of a pop-minded singer than one inheriting and repackaging soul values, and also Ariana Grande, who is a classic R&B singer hiding out in arena pop. And there are flashes in the pan like Jhene Aiko.
He goes on to critic Tinashe in comparison to her female R&B counterparts, which Caramanica insists won't be a threat to the young songstress' success. Apparently, not even Beyoncé will be able to fight her off, unless she releases some new music.
That leaves an open lane for Tinashe, then. Factor out Beyoncé and also Rita Ora, who sings the tempestuous hook on Iggy Azalea's "Black Widow," and there's not a single female R&B singer on the most recent Billboard hot R&B/hip-hop songs chart besides Tinashe, who appears both for the extremely durable "2 On" and for guesting on the Kid Ink song "Body Language." Soon, the singles from Beyoncé's most recent album will have come and gone. There will be no one to shout Tinashe down.
Oh yeah, and one more jab at Aiko, who recently released her debut Souled Out: "The underwhelming Ms. Aiko rarely sounds awake when she sings, and has found success that way."
Read Jon Caramanica review in its entirety here.
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