AMETHYST: ALBUM REVIEW
Amethyst represented an end of an era, but nobody could have known it at the time. Tinashe’s Amethyst was recorded in her bedroom as a “thank you” to her fans after her incredible debut Aquarius. Amethyst shows Tinashe as honest and vulnerable, recording just for herself without being caught in the middle of a drama that has little to do with her. This would be her last project for a long time that's not caught up in label and personal drama, which makes it a magical experience as well as a treat to hear Tinashe unfiltered.
The first thing you notice about Amethyst is how low stakes the record feels. It feels nothing like her major-label debut, there’s nothing polished about the instrumentation and occasionally even her vocals sound a bit underproduced. It feels like a singer having fun while getting to flex her muscles. There is something intimate about the record, as it feels like we get an inside look at Tinashe’s process. We rarely get to see Tinashe fully in her element, but thankfully on Amethyst, she seems fully in control.
The beats on this project perfectly blend R&B, pop, and hip-hop. They’re understated and glide behind her vocals. On tracks like “Wrong” and “Just the Way I Like You,” the beat becomes more of an aesthetic than a noticeable element of the song. The beats lull you into a trance and allow 100% of your focus to be captivated by Tinashe. Even with underproduced vocals, Tinashe still manages to steal the show completely. The versatility she showcases on this record is special. She goes from poppy danceable tracks like “Wanderer” to hip-hop with “Worth It” and finally to all-out ballads with “Just the Way I Like You.”
“Just the Way I Like You” is one of my favorite songs of all time. The instrumental is beautiful with an oscillating synth that sounds like an ascent to heaven. The lyrics are equally as heavenly as Tinashe sings, “I'm not stopping, I'm not falling, got no time slow up. Selling shows out on my own, yeah, I'm about to blow up,” with quiet confidence and profound joy. The entire track gives off a beautiful feeling, like floating above it all. We get to hear Tinashe gloating and showing off for a little before getting back to work.
This project is an inflection point. Right now, it’s a bit hard to see what direction Tinashe is going, but Amethyst was the last time we saw her carefree. From everything we know now, the industry has done all it can to block her from success. Every step of her creative journey has felt like her fighting against people who don’t want what is best for her. That’s what makes Amethyst so special; we get to see Tinashe unobstructed and exactly as she wants us to.