Tinashe Popstar Pitchfork 9.0: What to Hear First

Tinashe's eighth studio album, Popstar, just earned a 9.0 out of 10 from Pitchfork, which named it Best New Music and called it "the best pop album of the year." It came out on September 25, 2026, and landed a 90 out of 100 on Metacritic. Here's a guide to the 4 singles you already know, the full 16-track lineup, and where to start.

Watch "Too Easy"

"Too Easy" was the first single from Popstar, out on June 5, 2026. It sits at track 2 on the album and is a strong first listen for anyone coming in new.

The official music video for "Too Easy," the lead single from Tinashe's album Popstar.

When Popstar Came Out

Popstar arrived on September 25, 2026, through Nice Life Recording Company, Atlantic Records, and Tinashe's own imprint, Tinashe Music. It's her eighth studio album.

The album has 16 tracks and blends hyperpop, R&B, and dance across its runtime. There are no featured artists. Every track is Tinashe solo.

Four singles came out before the album dropped:

• "Too Easy": June 5, 2026
• "Crash Out": July 16, 2026 (also the day the album was announced)
• "Melatonin": August 13, 2026
• "Pillow Fight": September 10, 2026

Here's the full tracklist:

1. Sunglasses
2. Too Easy
3. Melatonin
4. Empty Stadium
5. Flashbacks
6. Overdramatic
7. I'd Rather Be Alone
8. Crash Out
9. Pillow Fight
10. Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore
11. Twentyfive Eight
12. The Show Must Go On
13. Popstar
14. Brainrot
15. Cloud 9
16. Heavy Weight

If you've already heard the singles, you know tracks 2, 3, 8, and 9. The other 12 are all new territory.

What Popstar Is About

NME gave the album 5 out of 5 stars and described it as showing "confidence and introspection" while exploring "the trials and tribulations of a Black woman in Hollywood." That's the emotional thread running through all 16 tracks.

The production is handled primarily by Ricky Reed, Zach Sekoff, and Machinedrum. Arca, Fred Ball, and Illangelo contributed to additional tracks. It's a well-stacked team, which helps explain how the album covers so much ground without losing focus.

The official music video for "Pillow Fight," the fourth and final single from Popstar, released September 10, 2026.

What Else Is New

Two days after the standard album, Tinashe released a Bonus Edition on September 27, 2026. It adds remixes by PinkPantheress, Nick Leon, and Umru.

Why Tinashe's Popstar Matters

The critical scores are unusually strong:

• Pitchfork: 9.0/10, Best New Music. Critic Anna Gaca called it Tinashe's "best and bravest yet" and "the best pop album of the year."
• Metacritic: 90/100, in "universal acclaim" territory.
• NME: 5/5 stars.

A 9.0 from Pitchfork is rare. A 90 on Metacritic is rarer. Together, they make Popstar one of the most praised pop albums of 2026.

2026 has been a big year for women in pop more broadly. (More: Hailee Steinfeld's 2026 music comeback.) At the VMAs, LISA won Best Pop for "SAWADIKA," which gives you some context for how competitive the space has been this year. (More: LISA winning Best Pop at the 2026 VMAs.)

For Tinashe, this is album number 8. Getting scores like these this far into a career is genuinely unusual.

VibeSynced Particles That Match Tinashe

Tinashe's sound on Popstar moves between euphoric hyperpop, late-night R&B, and fast-moving dance. Tap one to jump straight into the app with that particle already running.

• Vortex: a swirling particle tunnel that fits the high-energy hyperpop side of the album, good for "Crash Out" and "Too Easy."
• City: a neon nighttime cityscape that matches the late-night R&B mood of "Melatonin" and "Cloud 9."
• Waves: soft, flowing particles for the slower and more introspective moments across the back half of the album.

Tinashe Popstar FAQ

What did Pitchfork say about Tinashe's Popstar?

Pitchfork gave Popstar a 9.0 out of 10 and named it Best New Music. Critic Anna Gaca called it Tinashe's "best and bravest yet" and "the best pop album of the year."

How many songs are on Tinashe's Popstar?

Popstar has 16 tracks on the standard edition, plus a Bonus Edition with remixes by PinkPantheress, Nick Leon, and Umru that came out September 27, 2026.

Does Popstar have any features?

No. Popstar is a fully solo project with no featured artists across all 16 tracks.

What are the singles from Tinashe's Popstar?

The 4 singles are "Too Easy" (June 5), "Crash Out" (July 16), "Melatonin" (August 13), and "Pillow Fight" (September 10, 2026). They appear on the album as tracks 2, 8, 3, and 9.