Sorry, Pathetic, And Far From Authentic

Tink featuring Jeremih “Don’t Tell Nobody”

I was only dimly aware of Tink before I heard this song; now I feel convinced that she’s going to become a star and that this song ought to be one of the “songs of the summer” for 2014. There’s a light, breezy feeling to the R&B side of this track – everything feels a bit weightless when Jeremih sings the hook, and the keyboard tones indicate a chill vibe even if the vocals are all about conflict. Tink’s performance goes against all that – she sounds anxious and angry, but never so much that seems like she’s freaking out. There’s a nice sense of emotional scale here, so while she genuinely seems hurt by this dude who’s sleeping around on her, she also comes off as strong and unwilling to put up with his shit. Or, she is until their fights turn into sex and they get sucked into the cycle all over again.