Tinashe is riding high on creative freedom. Since stepping away from the major label system in 2019, the 31-year-old artist has been thriving independently, allowing her to drop new music as often as she pleases.
"It's given me a newfound sense of belief in myself and my agency," she tells GRAMMY.com.
Her seventh studio album, Quantum Baby, released on August 16, fully embraces this autonomy — evidenced by its catchy, sultry lead single "Nasty," which went viral in May and quickly became an inescapable summer hit.
She channels this momentum into Quantum Baby, part two of the ANGEL/BB trilogy. The breezy eight-track album explores the duality of confidence and vulnerability while showcasing Tinashe's vocal chops…and waits until the very end to unleash "Nasty."
"Nasty" not only showcases Tinashe's ability to create infectious music but also her savvy in capitalizing on its success. The song climbed to No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 — her second-highest charting single to-date — and spurred the release of the Match My Freak EP in June. The project features six remixes that include spins from UNIIQU3 with her signature Jersey club bounce and a jittery-yet-smooth take from swaggy beatmaster Kaytranada, with two new versions featuring Tyga and Chlöe as special guests. The original Nasty queen Ms. Janet Jackson even jumped in on the action, mixing Tinashe's tune into her 1986 classic of the same name during her Together Again world tour.
This isn't Tinashe's first rodeo. Since her 2014 breakout with the debut single "2 On," featuring ScHoolboy Q and its infectious trap beat laced with a Sean Paul sample, she has consistently pushed her musical boundaries. Her fourth album, Songs For You, marked her first release as an independent artist, featuring hits "Hopscotch" and "Die A Little Bit" with UK rapper Ms Banks. Tinashe is also a sought-after collaborator, having been tapped by Shygirl, Britney Spears, and a plethora of electronic music producers including Gryffin, Snakehips, TOKIMONSTA and Calvin Harris.
Ahead of her tour and the release of Quantum Baby, Tinashe spoke with GRAMMY.com just before boarding a flight to China, where "Nasty" first caught fire. She discussed her new music, the phenomenal success of "Nasty," embracing her creative independence, and shared valuable advice for emerging artists.
Quantum Baby, your seventh studio album is almost here. What does this album mean to you and what emotions were you processing or experiencing while working on it?
This album is kind of a representation of where I am right now in my life, and the feelings that I'm going through, of sometimes teetering on this hyper-confident, in-your-face persona, and then something that feels a little bit more vulnerable underneath, and how that paradox exists within me. That was the mind state I was in when it came to the concept for this album.
What are you hoping fans experience or feel when they listen to it?
I just hope that it continues to push the narrative of what I've been creating and move it forward into a slightly new territory. I love evolving with every project and getting deeper and even taking it down different lanes that maybe people wouldn't necessarily expect. I'm excited for people to take that journey with me.
"Nasty" is one of your biggest songs to date and has had a huge impact on pop culture — I'm not mad that it's one of the inescapable songs this summer. When you finished it, did you think that you had a hit on your hands?
No, not necessarily. The last few years, I have been focused on making music that inspires me or that I like, and using that as the barometer for if I want to put it out, not considering if I think it's a "hit" or not. In the past, in my experience, there were times where chasing things or trying to create things that felt like hits led me to a not-as-pure creative place. I think it sometimes does a disservice to the art. I guess I could have created it and then realized that it sounded like a hit, but I think a lot of my songs sound like hits, so you never know.
Why do you think "Nasty" resonated so strongly in this particular moment?
It's summertime, I think people are ready to get out there and just feel free and have fun. There's so much heaviness that's going on in the world around us, and sometimes people just need a release and something that feels playful. And I think people can relate to the song in a lot of ways. It's just youthful and free and it feels like summer.
One of the other tracks on the album that really feels like it's also gonna pop off is "No Broke Boys." When you create from that super confident space you were referring to, are those songs coming to you in a different way than some of the more introspective or vulnerable tracks?
I think in terms of what type of song I make on any given day, it really just depends on my mood, or perhaps the weather, the time of year, or how I'm feeling any given week, whatever's going on in my life. There're so many elements that could play into why I would want to make a certain song, but I find myself also wanting to make songs that feel hyper-confident and in your face like "No Broke Boys" as a means of almost harnessing that energy for myself. A lot of times I don't necessarily feel as confident as the characters that I portray via music. I think that's a cool way to conjure up and harness that energy and make something that feels that way, and to be able to share that with other people. That's the intention behind making songs like that.
Do you see it as an alter ego?
I wouldn't say it's as deep as an alter ego, but it definitely feels like a side of my persona that I really just relate to through music. In real life, I'm a little bit more laidback and easygoing, kind of quiet. Through my art, [I can tap into] a whole different side of my personality.
What's one thing that you think people either get wrong about you or don't know about you?
I think people assume that someone who's in the entertainment industry or has a public-facing job is extremely outgoing and always wants to be on and talking all the time and surrounded by people. As much as I want my art to communicate that and I love playing shows and things of that nature, I'm definitely more of a homebody and [keep] to myself. I just want to just hang out, to be chill. I'm not super social. I have a really small social circle.
Read More: Love "Nasty"? Get To Know Tinashe With 10 Songs That Show Her Honesty & Artistry
It was cool how fast you responded to the virality of "Nasty" with all the different remixes. How did that happen so quickly? How did you kind of choose who to bring into it?
It's a couple things. I think there was an aspect of just being ready for the moment. I have a whole album coming out and I have all these different things that I'm already planning on doing. So when I had this amazing viral moment and there were a lot of new eyes on my work, I had the work already prepared to continue the momentum or use that energy to move into my album roll out, as opposed to it feeling unexpected and unprepared.
I also think the song just had so much energy with its initial burst of virality that there were so many people already remixing it and just popping on it in a super organic way. That felt extremely organic to put out all the different versions because I was hearing so many dope interpolations and interpretations of it online everywhere. It just felt very of the moment [by] embracing the energy that was already naturally happening.
It's amazing how worldwide it gets too, because it was trending in China before the United States. I was out there doing some shows, so I got to see that firsthand. That was crazy. It's been really fun.
One of the remixers was Kaytranada, who's also tapped you for features on his last two albums, including "More Than A Little Bit" on his latest. Both of your styles always sound so good together. Can you speak to that particular creative relationship?
We've always just had a natural chemistry when working together. It's always felt very effortless and just really easy. And he's also super laidback and cool. I think we just gel, personality wise and creatively. Like I said, it just feels really effortless and that's the best [kind of] collaboration. So we just keep doing it.
You just announced the Match My Freak world tour — what can fans expect from this tour and these shows?
I think the biggest thing they can expect and look forward to is that I will be playing new material. I think that's something that's also really cool for the fans, they get to experience a new show that's always evolving. It's really fun for me because as someone who performs the show so often, you get bored sometimes doing the same thing. It's exciting to be able to add new numbers. We're going to have new choreography, new numbers, new transitions — it's going to be an entirely new production. I think that's always something to look forward to, because then you always get a new experience, even if you've been to a show before.
Going back, it's been a decade since you put out your debut studio album, Aquarius. How have you felt that you've grown as an artist since then and what's one of the biggest things you've learned about yourself in the process?
I think the biggest thing I've learned about myself is also the biggest way that I've grown, which is my level of confidence. I know now that my ideas are good and when I stick to what I believe in with the creative, that's ultimately when the music and the art is the purest and most authentic. The audience can tell the difference when it comes to authenticity, so [it's important to] never doubt your perspective as a creator.
A big part of your story the last couple years has been leaving the major label system and stepping out on your own. What has that freedom felt like for you, and how does that specifically come out in Quantum Baby?
It's given me a newfound sense of belief in myself and my agency. I'm my own boss, the captain of my ship; as a creative that's very empowering. I like having that kind of pressure and responsibility.
Is there music that you can release now that you couldn't before?
It's more so the cadence of my releases, being able to release a lot faster and to make decisions easier. I wouldn't necessarily say [it's resulted in] totally different songs, but it's little things creatively that feel different. Not having to answer to anyone is cool. It's fun. I feel like that's the way it should be as a creative.
You've had some pretty iconic collabs over the years, including Britney Spears, Usher, Devonté Hynes, Normani, and many more. What have been some of your biggest pinch-me moments meeting artists you admire?
The top for me are probably my girls. Britney Spears was insane, so surreal. And I recently met Janet Jackson, that was also super surreal and really, really cool. I think those moments are so affirming as an artist, because to see people that you've looked up to your entire life connect with you in that way, you've almost hit all the benchmarks. Where do you go from there? That's such an ultimate sign that you're on the right path.
Are there any other dream collabs you've yet to realize?
I would love to work with SZA, James Blake, Janet — that would be amazing. I'll put that on the bucket list, why not? I'd still love to work with André 3000; that would be crazy.
What's your advice to younger artists, particularly women of color, navigating the music industry, trying to get their music heard, trying to find their creative voice?
One: teach yourself to use the computer programs that are required to record your music. That's extremely advantageous, and that way you don't have to wait around for studio time or for someone to do it for you. There're so many ways that you can record music at home, on your own. So get that DIY spirit and start creating your music on your own.
The second thing I would say is just be fearless in putting your art out there. Just share it. Don't wait.