Tinashe’s “Nasty” takes on Janet and Beyoncé + Are songs getting simpler?

EPISODE 377

If you've spent any time on the internet in the summer of 2024, you may have encountered a certain refrain accompanying dance videos—"I've been a nasty girl. Nasty, nasty, nasty." This track, "Nasty" by the R&B singer and songwriter Tinashe, is a jam in its own right. Far from just a piece of viral content, "Nasty" is one of the songs of the summer, a chance for an burgeoning artist to reach a new level of success, and the latest in a long line pop songs from Janet Jackson to Beyoncé and Destiny's Child, taking the term "nasty" and spinning its on its head. 

"Nasty" is also a song that, in some ways, is ridiculously simple. And the simplicity of pop music has been in the news after a new scientific study argued that pop hits have become less complex over time. We dig into the study's methodology to see if we agree with its conclusion, or to put it another way, whether its conclusions match our freak.

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Read more from the New York Times about the study exploring pop's melodic complexity through history.

Songs Discussed

Tinashe - Nasty, Save Room For Us, 2 On

Charli XCX - I might say something stupid

Janet Jackson - Nasty

Destiny's Child - Nasty Girl

Ariana Grande - Nasty

Paul Simon - Still Crazy After all These Years