2 On
by Tinashe (featuring ScHoolboy Q)

Album: Aquarius (2014)
Charted: 24
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tinashe Kachingwe is a Los Angeles-raised singer-songwriter, who started as an actress, making her acting debut in the 2000 television film Cora Unashamed. Tinashe has also voiced for the film The Polar Express and had a recurring role on CBS' Two and a Half Men. Her first foray into music was as a member of the five-piece girl band The Stunners. After they disbanded, Tinashe embarked as a solo act, signing with RCA and releasing two critically acclaimed mixtapes in 2012.
  • This was released as the first single from Tinashe's debut album, Aquarius. A DJ Mustard-produced cut for the club, it features a guest verse from Schoolboy Q. "I wanted '2 On' to be transitional, so people get used to the idea of, 'She can make songs that can play on the radio, and she can still make songs that I can vibe out to in my car,'" she told Billboard magazine.

    "With this song, it's not such a struggle [for fans] to, like, clap or sing along," she added with a laugh. "They're already having fun and pumped up."
  • Tinashe first performed the song live at the 2014 SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
  • Tinashe explained the song's meaning to The Idolator: "We are trying to kill 'turnt up,' 'turned up on life,' 'YOLO,' all that stuff," she said. "And we are trying to bring in '2 On.' So basically, it just means super hyped up, super extra out on whatever emotion that it is if you are super, super happy, then you are '2 On.' You got it?"
  • The song samples Sean Paul's 2005 hit single "We Be Burnin'" towards the end.
  • The song's official music video was helmed by Hannah Lux Davis, who is one of the most in-demand music video directors (she is responsible for clips by the likes of Lil Wayne, Jason DeRulo and Ciara). However Davis and Tinashe go back a long way – Davis directed for the singer's old group The Stunners.
  • Tinashe said to Billboard magazine of DJ Mustard's clap-heavy production: "'2 On' really caught people's attention initially because it was the first time that they'd heard a female singing on that type of beat. DJ Mustard didn't have any women on any of his music at the point when I wrote that song, and I thought that that would just be a fresh sound."

Comments: 1

  • 45-ac from Jl, Marsthis song is very contarigosuglorbknob
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Art Alexakis of Everclear

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"