Tink
Winter’s Diary 3
This one’s been out for a while, but I feel like it hasn’t really gotten the play its deserved. The third installment of her bulletproof Winter’s Diary series, this tape is a lean, sharp collection that skews toward her R&B side rather than her rap one. That’s good news for me, as her lovesick slow jams couldn’t be any more up my alley, and tearjerkers like “H2O,” “I Like” and “There’s Somebody Else” recall the golden period R&B that melts my little 90s heart.
That said, the ten-song set is balanced with some edginess, courtesy of bangers like “Very Very Special,” “Route 42 to San Fran,” and the masterful, surprisingly poppy “Afterparty.” The latter is another example of the Chicago native’s exceptional versatility, and it would probably be a radio smash if it was a Rihanna track. The traces of her highly publicized and not particularly fruitful working relationship with Timbaland are conspicuously sparse here with Timbo relegated to production of a single song, the tame “L.E.A.S.H.” While I worry that her new mentor and unrealistic expectations (“New Aaliyah” LOL) may hold her long-awaited debut LP back, as long as she keeps churning out mixtapes this good, who really cares about a great album?
8.5/10
