So far, all things considered, 2024 has been pretty dark. Online, people are responding by embracing fecklessness and hedonism. Some are having a Brat summer, inspired by Charli xcx’s frank, debauched new album; others are choosing to get “nasty”, tapping into a straightforwardly horny call-to-arms from the American singer Tinashe on her single of the same name: “Is somebody gonna match my freak?”
“Freak” in this context means a wild and unusual sexual proclivity, and the phrase has become a meme, motto, or dating-profile tagline for anyone looking to let off steam over the past few months. Tinashe understands the impulse. “It’s not a super happy, exciting time to be living in the world,” the 31-year-old says on the phone from her home in Los Angeles. “That creates a pendulum that swings towards people just wanting to listen to music that makes them find release and joy.”
