Tinashe Illustrates Why She’s the Prototype Popstar (Ep.45)

Congratulations are in order as Tinashe earns her highest charting album and first ever top 10 on the Billboard 200 with 'Popstar' (#6). In other words: our girl is THEE POPSTAR of the moment. This week on The Weekly Wind Down, Jer is getting into Tinashe’s new album 'POPSTAR' and why, after all these years, she still feels like the blueprint for the artist the industry keeps trying to manufacture. Outside of this 8th studio album receiving a 9.0 rating on Pitchfork, Tinashe has spent over a decade showing us what happens when you put the ART before the algorithm. She moves through genres without asking permission, experiments without watering herself down, and somehow keeps sounding futuristic while still giving us that nostalgic feeling of when pop stars were allowed to actually have a POINT OF VIEW. Jer gets into why Tinashe is the prototype, how TikTok has changed the way audiences are conditioned to hear music, and why a viral moment should not be the only thing determining whether a song gets a chance. We talk artistry, genre fluidity, authenticity, the pressure to follow whatever formula is currently working, and why Tinashe’s willingness to take the scenic route is exactly what makes her so special. And yes, we are getting into POPSTAR properly. After spending a week with the album, Jer is revealing his Top 5 tracks, the honorable mentions, the production choices that stood out, and the moments where Nashe really reminded us why she can do things most artists simply cannot. Plus, a little love for another project that has been putting Jer in his FALL BAG: SZN4 I FEAR. Popstar proves Tinashe was built different! This is your reminder that sometimes the artist who takes the longest road is the one who ends up building the road everybody else wants to travel. Pop music class is in session. 🎧 Follow JerBear on all social platforms: https://www.patreon.com/cw/worldofjer https://tiktok.com/@theworldofjer https://instagram.com/theworldofjer http://youtube.com/@jeremiahneil [email protected] Chapters 00:00 - Welcome Back, Popholics 01:00 - New Music Alert 04:40 - What Makes Tinashe The Prototype? 11:26 - How TikTok Is Conditioning Mainstream Music Taste 14:39 - POPSTAR Album Review + Top 5 Track Ranking 21:54 - Shoutout to SZN4 I Fear: The Fall Album We Needed