Aquarius (Tinashe album)

Aquarius
Original album cover[a]
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 3, 2014 (2014-10-03)
Recorded2013–2014
Studio
  • Farlow[b]
  • Tinashe's home studio (Los Angeles)[c]
  • Westlake (Los Angeles)[d]
  • Clockwork (Los Angeles)[e]
  • Downtown (New York City)[f]
  • TempleBase (Hollywood)[g]
  • Eardrumma (Atlanta)[h]
  • Luis Entertainment[i]
Genre
Length55:43
LabelRCA
Producer
Tinashe chronology
Black Water
(2013)
Aquarius
(2014)
Amethyst
(2015)
2014 back packaging and 2020 reissue cover
Singles from Aquarius
  1. "2 On"
    Released: January 21, 2014
  2. "Pretend"
    Released: August 22, 2014
  3. "All Hands on Deck"
    Released: February 24, 2015

Aquarius is the debut studio album by American singer Tinashe, released on October 3, 2014, by RCA Records. In 2011, after the disbandment of the girl group The Stunners, Tinashe announced that she would begin pursuing a solo career. The following year she released her debut mixtape In Case We Die. After raising her profile with the mixtape, Tinashe met with RCA Records where she subsequently signed a recording contract. Following her signing a record deal, Tinashe immediately began working on the album. During the recording process for the debut album, she released two other mixtapes, Reverie (2012) and Black Water (2013).

Aquarius was titled after Tinashe's zodiac sign. The album incorporates several genres including R&B, alternative R&B, and pop. The album's production was characterized as being synthetic, with atmospherics and minimalist beats and electronics. The album's composition drew comparisons to a variety of artists including The Weeknd and Aaliyah. Most of the songs were written by Tinashe herself, who also served as the album's executive producer alongside Mike Nazzaro.

Upon its release, Aquarius received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended its production, lyrics, and themes, with reviewers comparing it to the work of Janet Jackson.[2][3] The album debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200, selling 18,821 copies in its first week. It also charted in Australia, France and the United Kingdom. The album was promoted with the release of three singles—"2 On", "Pretend", and "All Hands on Deck"—with the first reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

  1. ^ Bendix, Trish (May 4, 2020). "TINASHE IS TAKING CONTROL OF HER ART AND HER IMAGE". INDIE. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference allmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference slant was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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