Quantum Baby in Bloomington, MN

The second part of a planned trilogy from
Tinashe
,
Quantum Baby
, like first installment
BB/ANG3L
, is billed as an album but is just a shade over 20 minutes. The format proves again to be well-suited for the singer, providing another highly concentrated shot of material that shows her moving with ease -- sometimes blurring the line -- between sensual slow jams and pop-flavored dance tracks.
got off to a hot start with lead single "Nasty" (aka "match my freak"). A lean and carnal slow jam, it went viral and became
's biggest hit since "2 On" (2014). The strategy of placing "Nasty" at the end, the climax, works as a pay-off after seven songs that might not have the same virality but are nearly as replayable. "No Broke Boys," produced by the "Nasty" team of
Ricky Reed
and
Zack Sekoff
plus
Phoelix
, is another career highlight, a thematic descendent of "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent" (
Gwen Guthrie
) and "No Scrubs" (
TLC
) with a chorus like a taunting double-dutch chant. Earlier standouts include the darting "Getting No Sleep" and the tingling "Thirsty," the latter providing evidence that the trap-soul idiom isn't quite bankrupt. ~ Andy Kellman