Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	80/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Billboard
Exclaim!	7/10
Fact
Los Angeles Times
NME	8/10
Pitchfork	7.5/10
Q
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine

Aquarius is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Tinashe. It was released on October 3, 2014, by RCA Records. In 2011, after the disbandment of the girl group The Stunners, Tinashe announced that she would began pursuing a solo career. The following year, she released her debut mixtape, In Case We Die. After raising her profile with the mixtape, Tinashe met with RCA Records where she subsequently signed a recording contract. Following her signing a record deal, Tinashe immediately began working on the album. During the recording process for her debut album, she released two other mixtapes with Reverie (2012) and Black Water (2013).

Aquarius was titled after Tinashe's zodiac sign. The album incorporates several genres such as R&B, alternative R&B, and pop. The album's production was characterized as being synthetic, with atmospherics and minimalistic beats and electronics. The album's composition drew comparisons to a variety of artists including The Weeknd and Aaliyah. Most of the songs were written by Tinashe herself who also served as the album's executive producer alongside Tim Blacksmith, Mike Nazzaro and Danny D.

Upon its release, Aquarius received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who commended its production, lyrics, and themes, with reviewers comparing it to the work of Janet Jackson. The album debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200, selling 18,821 copies in its first week. It also charted in Australia, France and the United Kingdom. The album was promoted with the release of three singles—"2 On", "Pretend", and "All Hands on Deck"—with the former reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Wikipedia