Tinashe - Pasadena ft. Buddy

What this video is

Released June 9, 2021 as the lead single for Tinashe's fifth studio album 333, 'Pasadena' arrived during a post-pandemic cultural moment defined by yearnings for freedom, outdoor gathering, and emotional lightness. As Tinashe's first major solo visual since going fully independent following her departure from RCA Records, the video embodies the creative autonomy and self-directed artistic vision increasingly…

Why it matters

Represents a strand of early-2020s R&B that blends airy, uptempo, dance-pop energy with West Coast rap collaboration, signaling R&B's post-streaming pivot toward kinetic, feel-good aesthetics. The video's VSCO-filtered naturalism and outdoor staging became a recognizable mode of independent Black…

The director

American photographer and director based in Los Angeles and New York. Has shot for Vogue, WSJ, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and GQ. Commercial clients include Nike, Apple, Verizon, Lancôme, Thom Browne, Ralph Lauren, and Valentino. Fine art prints held…