333 is the fifth studio album by American singer Tinashe. It was released independently through her own label Tinashe Music on August 6, 2021.[2] The project features collaborations with Jeremih, Kaytranada, Kaash Paige, Absolutely, Wax Motif, Buddy, Channel Tres, Christian Blue, and Tinashe's brothers Quiet Child and Kudzai.[3] The album's deluxe edition, featuring four additional tracks, was released on March 3, 2022.[4]

333
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 6, 2021 (2021-08-06)
Recorded2020–2021
StudioTinashe's home studio (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length47:16
LabelTinashe Music
Tinashe chronology
Comfort & Joy
(2020)
333
(2021)
BB/Ang3l
(2023)
Singles from 333
  1. "Pasadena"
    Released: June 4, 2021
  2. "Bouncin"
    Released: July 9, 2021
  3. "Undo (Back to My Heart)"
    Released: September 1, 2021
  4. "X"
    Released: January 21, 2022
  5. "Naturally"
    Released: February 14, 2022
  6. "HMU For A Good Time"
    Released: June 24, 2022

Title

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The album's title itself is an allusion to the angel number 333 associated with messages from the divine of protection, love, and destiny. Regarding the title selection, Tinashe commented that “I named it 333 because I really felt like I was on the right path, in alignment with what I was meant to do. I just wanted to acknowledge that.”[5]

Promotion

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Singles

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"Pasadena" featuring Buddy was released as the album's lead single on June 4, 2021.[6] Its music video, directed by Micaiah Carter, was premiered on June 10, 2021, on Tinashe's YouTube account. The music video was created as a collaborative effort with photography mobile-app VSCO, and was further promoted by the company through social media creative challenge which encouraged users to create and share contents inspired by the music video, using the hashtag #VSCOPasadena.[7] The second single, "Bouncin", was released on July 9, 2021, and its music video was subsequently released on July 14, 2021, directed by Lloyd Pursall and choreographed by Parris Goebel.[8][9] The album's promotional single, "I Can See the Future", was released on July 23, 2021, along with announcing the album track list.[10] The fourth single of the album, "X" featuring Jeremih, was released on January 21, 2022. It was released alongside a music video of both "X" and "I Can See The Future", directed by Sebastian Sdaigui.[11]

"Naturally" was released as the lead single from the album's deluxe edition (and fifth overall) on February 14, 2022.[12] The single was promoted with a music video inspired by the horror movie The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and was directed by Raul Rosco Guerrero. “HMU for a Good Time” featuring Channel Tres is the sixth overall single and the second single from the deluxe version. The video was released as a surprise on June 24, 2022, directed by Jonah Haber and choreographed by Jojo Gomez.[13]

Tour

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To promote the album, Tinashe announced her 333 Tour, with Rei Ami as the supporting act.[14] In less than one week after pre-sale and general tickets were made available, several dates were sold out, prompting new dates to be added. The concert tour will also be available to worldwide audience as a livestream concert event, in partnership with Moment House, which will be the "exclusive digital tour experience" and is promised to be "specially crafted for at-home fans around the world".[15][16]

Setlist

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  1. "I Can See the Future"
  2. "X"
  3. "Small Reminders"
  4. "Cold Sweat"
  5. "Soul Glitch"
  6. "Touch & Go"
  7. "Throw a Fit"
  8. "Link Up"
  9. "How Many Times"
  10. "Like I Used To"
  11. "Ghetto Boy"
  12. "So Much Better"
  13. "Life's Too Short"
  14. "Story of Us"
  15. "Feelings"
  16. "The Worst in Me"
  17. "Die a Little Bit"
  18. "Hopscotch"
  19. "2 On"
  20. "All Hands on Deck"
  21. "Rascal (Superstar)"
  22. "So Much Better"
  23. "Ooh La La"
  24. "Bouncin’, Pt. 2"
  25. "Last Call"
  26. "The Chase"
  27. "No Drama"
  28. "Cash Race"
  29. "Bouncin"
  30. "Save Room for Us"
  31. "Undo (Back to My Heart)"
  32. "Pasadena"

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [18]
Clash7/10[19]
NME     [20]
Pitchfork7.8/10[21]
Sputnikmusic3.4/5[22]
Financial Times     [23]
StereogumPositive[24]

333 received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 84 based on five reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[17] Clash Music called the album a "a sparkling display of personal evolution" and despite not being a radically innovative record, it is coherent with "artful production", and "never having a dull moment". They also praised Tinashe's vocals as "faultless as ever" with "rap-like cadences."[19] Giving four out of five stars, NME said 333 "furthers the 28-year-old's narrative of being whatever she wants to be musically". The album also "gives off the same energy as Tinashe's early mixtapes such as Black Water and In Case We Die, reminding us of the singular artist that [she] is and always has been."[20] Pitchfork named 333 her best work to date, stating it as a "showcase for her omnivorous tastes and supremely light touch. Tinashe's voice glides through much of the record as if she's smirking at a private joke. Ultimately, it's that breezy, impish spirit that most distinguishes 333 and its predecessor from her RCA albums."[21]

AllMusic claimed that "333 sees the singer truly settling into independence. There's a near surplus of the breathy slow jams and midtempo cuts that roll and skitter like the tracks on which she built her reputation. Each one of those songs uniquely tweaks the approach to make it sound fresh."[18] Stereogum said Tinashe spends most of the album "sliding across an eclectic landscape of sounds, centered on fluttery impressionistic R&B but just as likely to veer into neon arena anthems (the Stargate-produced 'The Chase'), undulating synth-pop ('Undo (Back To My Heart)' with Wax Motif), breathless dance-adjacent hip-hop (the Buddy collab 'Pasadena'), or darkly spacious slow jams (the Kaash Paige duet 'Angels')." They also praised the cohesiveness of the album in comparison to her previous works "whereas the similarly diverse Joyride seemed awkwardly stitched together, a result of too many cooks in the kitchen, Tinashe's post-RCA albums feel coherent no matter how much she experiments because they're so clearly an outgrowth of her own perspective. She's the one calling the shots, and she knows damn well what she’s doing."[25]

Year-end lists

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333 and its songs on year-end lists
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Uproxx The 50 Best Albums of 2021 [26]
The 15 Best R&B Albums of 2021 [27]
VIBE magazine The 21 Best R&B Albums of 2021
2
[28]
34th Street The Best Albums of 2021
5
[29]
Spin The 30 Best Albums of 2021
9
[30]
The 30 Best Songs of 2021 ("Bouncin")
11
[31]
PopCrush The Best Albums of 2021
13
[32]
PopBuzz The Best Albums of 2021
14
[33]
Okayplayer The Best Albums of 2021
16
[34]
Insider The Best Albums of 2021
19
[35]
Cosmopolitan The Best Albums of 2021
22
[36]
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 2021
35
[37]
Pitchfork The Best Progressive Pop Music of 2021 [38]
The 100 Best Songs Of 2021 ("Bouncin")
16
[39]
Stereogum The Best Pop Songs Of 2021 ("Pasadena")
28
[40]
The Best Songs Of 2021 ("X") [41]
HipHopDX The Best R&B Songs of the Year ("Bouncin")
26
[42]
The Best R&B Songs of the Year ("Angels")
45
NPR The 100 Best Songs Of 2021 ("X")
90
[43]
BrooklynVegan 15 R&B songs that defined 2021 ("X")
3
[44]

Track listing

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333 standard track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Let Go"Kingston Callaway1:53
2."I Can See the Future"
  • Iiinfinite
  • sdtroy
2:56
3."X" (featuring Jeremih)
2:51
4."Shy Guy"
  • Kachingwe
  • Olivia Miraldi
  • David Wilson
Dwilly1:06
5."Bouncin'"
  • Kachingwe
  • Jade Mckenzie
  • Wilson
Dwilly2:55
6."Unconditional"Kaytranada3:17
7."Angels" (featuring Kaash Paige)
2:49
8."333" (featuring Absolutely)
  • Absolutely
  • Hill
  • Blanda
  • Du'Lanci Vallie
3:01
9."Undo (Back to My Heart)" (featuring Wax Motif)
3:17
10."Let Me Down Slowly"
Sam Sparro3:05
11."Last Call"
Tido3:40
12."The Chase"Stargate3:11
13."Pasadena" (featuring Buddy)
  • Todd Pritchard
  • Big Kidd
2:56
14."Small Reminders"
  • Kito
  • Karlsson
  • Christian Blue
4:30
15."Bouncin', Pt. 2"
  • Kachingwe
  • Wilson
  • Mckenzie
  • Alexander Lustig
Alex Lustig3:21
16."It's a Wrap" (featuring Quiet Child and Kudzai)
  • Kachingwe
  • Thulani Kachingwe
  • Kudzai Kachingwe
  • Shannon Cooke
  • Kenneth Akridge
  • Joseph Love
  • Anthony Clary
  • Albert Speaks
2:20
Total length:47:16
333 (Deluxe) track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Something Like a Heartbreak"
Kingdom3:08
18."HMU for a Good Time" (featuring Channel Tres)
4:07
19."Naturally"
  • Kachingwe
  • Max Fogelstrom
  • Mark Landon
  • Dimi Sloane Sesson II
  • Dallas Caton
  • Keen
3:14
20."Woke Up Blessed" (featuring Christian Blue)
  • Kachingwe
  • Waite
Christian Blue3:32
Total length:61:17

Notes

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  • "Unconditional" contains a hidden track called "I Dare You" starting at 1:11.

Charts

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Chart performance for 333
Chart (2021) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[45] 56
US Billboard 200[46] 175
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[47] 23
US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)[48] 20

Personnel

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  • Chloe Scheffe & Natalie Shields — album art, packaging designers

References

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  1. ^ "Tinashe – '333' review: mercurial star follows her muse, with electrifying results". NME. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  2. ^ "Tinashe Announces New Album "333" Release Date". HotNewHipHop. July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "Tinashe Shares The '333' Tracklist, Shares Dates For Fall Tour". Def Pen. July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  4. ^ Folk, Antwane (March 3, 2022). "Tinashe Releases '333 (Deluxe)' Album". Rated R&B. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "Digital Cover: Tinashe Takes Us to a World of Limitless Possibilities with New Album '333'". notion. August 6, 2021.
  6. ^ "Tinashe links up with Buddy for new single 'Pasadena'". NME. June 7, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Brown, D'Shonda. "How Tinashe Used VSCO To Curate Her Creative Vision For "Pasadena" Music Video". Forbes. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  8. ^ Cho, Regina (July 9, 2021). "Tinashe returns with new single "Bouncin'"". Revolt. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  9. ^ Curto, Justin (July 14, 2021). "Tinashe Bounces on the Ground, a Trampoline, and a Guy in 'Bouncin' Video". Vulture. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  10. ^ "Tinashe Drops New Song 'I Can See the Future," Reveals '333' Album Art and Tracklist". Complex. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Williams, Aaron (January 21, 2022). "Tinashe Sees Her Future In The Stunning 'X' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  12. ^ Rettig, James (February 14, 2022). "Tinashe Shares '333' Deluxe Edition Track "Naturally": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  13. ^ Cho, Regina. "Tinashe takes over the club in new "HMU For A Good Time" video". Revolt. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  14. ^ "Tinashe Announces '333 Tour' Dates". Rated R&B. July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  15. ^ "Tinashe Unveils North American Fall 2021 Tour Dates". Uproxx. July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  16. ^ "Moment House". www.momenthouse.com. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "333 by Tinashe Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Kellman, Andy (August 16, 2021). "333 - Tinashe | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Browne, Hannah (August 10, 2021). "Tinashe - 333". Clash. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Williams, Kyann-Sian (August 6, 2021). "Tinashe – '333' review: mercurial star follows her muse, with electrifying results". NME. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Rytlewski, Evan (August 9, 2021). "Tinashe: 333 Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  22. ^ "Review: Tinashe - 333". Sputnikmusic. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  23. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (August 13, 2021). "Tinashe's 333 is an exercise in musical seduction". Financial Times. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  24. ^ Deville, Chris (August 9, 2021). "Freedom Sounds Good On Tinashe". Stereogum. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  25. ^ "Freedom Sounds Good On Tinashe". Stereogum. August 9, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  26. ^ "The Best Albums of 2021". Uproxx. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  27. ^ "The Best R&B Albums of 2021". Uproxx. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  28. ^ "The 21 Best R&B Albums of 2021". VIBE magazine. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  29. ^ "Street's Favorite Albums of 2021". 34th Street magazine. December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  30. ^ "The 30 Best Songs of 2021". Spin Magazine. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  31. ^ "The 30 Best Albums of 2021". Spin Magazine. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  32. ^ "The 25 Best Albums of 2021". PopCrush. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  33. ^ "The 30 Best Albums of 2021". PopBuzz. December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  34. ^ "Okayplayer's 21 Best Albums of 2021". OkayPlayer. December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  35. ^ "The Best Albums of 2021, Ranked ..." Insider. December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  36. ^ "Here Are the 34 Best New Albums of 2021 (…So Far, Anyway)". Cosmopolitan. November 1, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  37. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Slaunt Magazine. December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  38. ^ "The Best Progressive Pop Music of 2021". Pitchfork. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  39. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2021". Pitchfork. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  40. ^ "The Top 40 Pop Songs of 2021". Stereogum. December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  41. ^ "Stereogum's 70 Favorite Songs of 2021". Stereogum. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  42. ^ "The Best R&B Songs of the Year". HipHopDX. November 26, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  43. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2021". NPR Music. December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  44. ^ "15 R&B Songs That Defined 2021". Brooklyn Vegan. January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  45. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  46. ^ "Tinashe Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  47. ^ "Tinashe Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  48. ^ ""Tinashe Chart History (Top R&B Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2021.