On “Talk To Me Nice,” Tinashe describes the feeling of being so secure and confident in a relationship that you can freely express your feelings to a partner. The single serves as the lead single from her upcoming album BB/ANG3L. The singer-songwriter first teased the single on June 2, 2023 by adding a pre-save link to her Twitter bio. Originally meant for a July 6 release, it was later pushed back to Friday, July 21, when it was released alongside a music video. The electronic-leaning production was perfectly complemented by her R&B vocals and melodies.
“Mix up my days, got me in a daze / Stuck in a phase, so talk to me nice,” she advises her lover on how to treat her right. She then goes on to promise her lover “a feeling that money can’t buy,” and loyalty money can’t buy if he doesn’t mess up the one chance he is given.
Confidently, Tinashe tells her lover that he can’t find anyone better than her even if he tried. “Do me a solid, keep it solid / Don’t lie ‘less you lie beside me (Mm) / Keep our plans in private / Their opinions don’t mean a thing,” she sings, flexing and crooning her vocals to produce an alluring sound.
In a statement, the 30-year-old revealed that the song touches on her genre-blending habits as well as her confidence in relationships. “‘Talk To Me Nice’ is an exploration of identity within genre. As someone who has constantly felt drawn to create in the gray areas between genres, I have found that I feel most myself there. Furthermore, it explores the feeling of being on the edge of a relationship and looking at it with skepticism, self-preservation, and self-confidence,” she said.
The single was written by Tinashe, Nosaj Thing, Scoop DeVille, and James Wrighter. The accompanying music video, directed by Bradley J. Calder, features only Tinashe. It opens with Tinashe holding a picture frame of herself to her face. She then goes on to peel off a layer from her face in the visually pleasing video that often sees the camera zooming in on some parts of her face to reveal, guess what, her flawless skin. Speaking on the video, she said she wanted it “to show the act of shedding an old skin, a previous version of myself, in a literal way.”
Since going solo, Tinashe has been pretty much-maintaining relevance by releasing songs that her fanbase vibes with. Since dropping 2021’s 333, she’s featured on tracks by Calvin Harris, Shygirl, and others.
