A few lines on disco…
[Video]
[5.20]
Julian Axelrod: Two years ago, I might have balked at Tinashe scoring a fluke hit off a coked-up fist-pump dance remix. But in a post-“Nasty” world, I’ve learned not to take random UK chart placements for granted. Last year’s Match My Freak EP proved Tinashe’s voice is malleable enough to be sped up, slowed down, or yassified, which is essentially the approach Disco Lines takes here. But no amount of neon-streaked synth drops can keep a good flirt down, and when a deep-voiced “DISCO” kicks in after the third refrain, it feels like the voice of God promising Tinashe a long reign as queen of the dancefloor.
[6]
Leah Isobel: The original “No Broke Boys” is a B-tier Tinashe single (above “Me So Bad,” below “So Much Better”) but its smooth, liquid lope at least backs up her claims to carefree independence and feminine camaraderie. Disco Lines’ LinkedIn-core treatment of the song makes it stink of desperation — not just to prove wealth and status, but to prove the validity of wealth and status as the main measurements of a life’s worth. Whatever. At least Tinashe’s getting a check.
[3]
Claire Davidson: Yet another cheap “summertime” dance remix that takes a perfectly decent song and strips both the original cut and its singer of any body, dimension, or tone. Not only is the hook of Tinashe’s “No Broke Boys” sped up to the point of endless irritation, but the synths that producer Disco Lines adds to the mix pierce the ear with a sound that is both noticeably shrill and distinctly small, resulting in a track too afraid of even its own obnoxiousness to be remotely compelling.
[3]
Wayne Weizhen Zhang: No-thoughts-in-head, mind-numbing, autopilot, viral, flash-in-the-pan EDM.
[8]
Katherine St. Asaph: Nice to see Tinashe on the charts in 2025, albeit via half-assed means.
[6]
Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: I’m happy for Tinashe, of course, but this sounds like it was written to soundtrack the Instagram reels of my nightmares.
[2]
Nortey Dowuona: This is Phoelix and Zach Sekoff erasure.
[4]
Ian Mathers: Perfectly serviceable if undistinguished dance backing, densely repetitive, effects-laden singing, simple lyrics that plainly but effectively convey a relatable emotional state: the formula for the kind of song I’m never sad to hear playing out but am never going to queue up myself.
[6]
Jel Bugle: The highest compliment that I can pay this song is that if it came on the radio or TV I’d think, this is good. Pretty simplistic but easy to remember: a winning combo!
[8]
Alfred Soto: Putting the hook in infinity loop was wise, no matter how mindless it sounds from a distance. An OK remix is still a dance remix. See you on the floor.
[6]