Tinashe Joins RZA In “Doctor”: Listen

Initially, Tinashe and Wu-Tang Clan‘s RZA sound like a perfect match in “Doctor,” released May 14. Tinashe, of “2 On” featuring ScHoolboy Q, lets her falsetto float above a metallic instrumental that clicks and creaks. As a result, the two recall the sort of magic that Aaliyah and Timbaland had between the two of them, how her voice would glide over his skittering rhythms.

With each rotation, though, their spell wears off. Other parts of the song start to register, like the telltale pop and fizz of a soda can being opened and emptied, that random voice saying, “So good.” Yes, RZA and Tinashe cut the track for an EP that the former’s releasing from Dr. Pepper Studios. Both of them also did their best, but their attempts to deliver sponsored content ultimately feels heavy-handed. (Hear it below.)

Back in 2001, *NSYNC guest-starred in an episode of The Simpsons, titled “New Kids on the Blecch.” Just as Bart and his friends start to gain fame as a boy band named Party Posse, Lisa can’t shake off this nagging feeling over Party Posse’s breakout hit “Drop the Bomb.” Eventually, she figures out that the hook, “Yvan Eht Nioj,” is “Join the Navy” sung backwards.

“Doctor” is like that – once you hear what they’re really trying to say, the song’s no longer alluring.

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