Tinashe is having a moment. The singer has been dropping acclaimed albums for over a decade, but her latest single, “Nasty,” has exploded. It’s spread like wildfire on TikTok, and recently cracked the Billboard Hot 100. This marks the first time Tinashe has landed a pop hit as a solo artist, and to make things even better, she managed to do it as an independent artist. “Nasty” was released through the Tinashe Music label. She’s thrilled by the song’s success and the reaction of her former label.
Tinashe, who left RCA Records in 2019, told TMZ that her ex-label is “gagging” over the success of her new single. “Nasty” has continued to gain traction since its release in April. This is not the first time Tinashe has thrown shade at RCA Records, either. During a 2023 appearance on the Zach Sang Show, the R&B singer claimed she was forced to do collabs against her will. To make matters worse, they were often with artists who were over the hill, like R. Kelly. “I literally block out that R. Kelly song from my mind,” she told the host. “I forget that it even exists. That is so embarrassing. That is so unreal that I even have a song with R. Kelly. That’s so embarrassing.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 12: Tinashe is seen at ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on June 12, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Tinashe was also reluctant to do a song with Chris Brown. “He was their biggest artist that they had on rhythmic radio at the time,” she recalled. “To me, I was like, ‘Well, this is a pop song. So, I really don’t feel like we should put Chris on it.’ That doesn’t compute to me, but I don’t know.” Tinashe’s instincts proved to be correct. Chris Brown wound up dissing her by asking IG users to “name five Tinashe songs.” The singer did admit that the independent grind has not been easy, though.
In a recent interview with Polyester, Tinashe detailed the effort that goes into releasing her own music. “I have to keep it 100 with people,” she explained. “It is not easy being independent. To find enough money to be able to fund the things you want to create, putting together a live show, or making a music video. Those things cost a lot of money and to be able to maintain that on your own is very hard.” Fortunately, the singer’s hard work has paid off. She scored her biggest hit in a decade, and she recently performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Tinashe is having a moment. A decade after her breakout single, “2 On,” the singer has broken through with the viral smash “Nasty.” It’s absolutely blown up on TikTok, and the popularity of the earworm song has carried over to the Billboard charts. “Nasty” debuted at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first time in Tinashe’s career in which she cracked the pop charts as a solo artist. This is extremely impressive given how long the singer has been at it.
Tinashe dropped her first mixtape, In Case We Die, in 2012. She had her aforementioned breakthrough with “2 On,” which peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains the singer’s biggest hit to date. The song did feature a verse from ScHoolboy Q, however, and was later remixed by Drake. “2 On” was eventually certified platinum, but it didn’t pave the way for much more radio success. Tinashe failed to have any of her singles chart over the next ten years. This, despite releasing well-received albums like Joyride (2018) and Songs for You (2019).
The singer is keenly aware of the rarity of scoring a hit a decade into a career. She told TIME Magazine that the success of “Nasty” has been rewarding, given how hard she’s worked on her craft. “This is what you wait and hope for,” she explained. “I’ve been grinding in the music industry for 10 years at this point. I’ve come to the place where I’ve accepted my path and I don’t really need more validation.” Despite the surprise success of the sing, Tinashe remains committed to her core fans. “I am super thankful for my core fanbase because they’ve been there from the jump,” she explained. “It’s exciting to see how it’s affecting the numbers of all my other songs too.”
The thing that separates the success of “Nasty” from “2 On,” however, is the fact that the latter is an independent release. Tinashe was signed to RCA when the first hit dropped, but now she’s releasing everything through Tinashe Music. “It’s amazing, it really validates all of my hard work,” she told the outlet. “Also taking that risk to go independent, it felt a little bit scary. I think staying true to myself and being able to make music that I love… has just propelled me to be a different human being that is much more confident. I’m so much more sure of myself and my path.”
Kaytranada is about to turn this summer up to another level. This week, the prolific producer and DJ will drop his new album, Timeless. This marks his third album, and his first full-length project in five years.
Fans can’t wait to dip into Kaytrananada’s pulsating, seductive grooves, and thankfully, they won’t have to wait much longer.
Release date
Timeless is out 6/7 via RCA. Find more information here.
Tracklist
1. “Pressure”
2. “Spit It Out”Feat. Rochelle Jordan
3. “Call U Up” Feat. Lou Phelps
4. “Weird” Feat. Durand Bernarr
5. “Dance Dance Dance Dance”
6. “Feel A Way” Feat. Don Toliver
7. “Still” Feat. Charlotte Day Wilson
8. “Video” Feat. Ravyn Lenae
9. “Seemingly”
10. “Drip Sweat” Feat. Channel Tres
11. “Hold On” Feat. Dawn Richard
12. “Please Babe”
13. “Stepped On”
14. More Than A Little Bit Feat. Tinashe
15. “Do 2 Me” Feat. Anderson .Paak & SiR
16. “Witchy” Feat. Childish Gambino
17. “Lover/Friend” Feat. Rochelle Jordan
Bonus tracks
1. “Wasted Words” Feat. Thundercat
2. “Snap My Finger” Feat. PinkPantheress
3. “Stuntin” Feat. Channel Tres
4. “Out Of Luck” Feat. Mariah The Scientist
Features
Timeless boasts an exciting set of features, including frequent collaborators Tinashe, and Anderson .Paak, as well as Childish Gambino and PinkPantheress.
Singles
So far, Kaytranada has released the Channel Tres collabs “Stuntin” and “Drip Sweat” as singles, as well as “Lover / Friend” with Rochelle Jordan.
Artwork
You can see the Timeless artwork below.
RCA
Tour dates
At the time of writing, Kaytranada has not announced a tour in support of Timeless.
Tinashe is kicking off her nasty girl summer. Her latest single, “Nasty,” has been taking over TikTok, and spawning some pretty iconic memes. And while fans are eagerly awaiting her upcoming album, Quantum Baby, Tinashe has a special treat to pair well with the music she’s dropping this summer. During an album preview in her hometown of Los Angeles, Tinashe debuted Green T, her weed strain which comes via a partnership with RYTHM premium cannabis.
“I feel most spiritual when I connect with nature and listen to music. It’s no coincidence, both are magical, profound wellness tools,” shared Tinashe in a statement. “Green T celebrates emotional, creative, and overall well-being.”
According to RYTHM’s official website, Tinashe curated Green T herself, and contains “rich and earthy” yet “sweet and fruity” notes. Green T is set to launch in Pennsylvania later this month, and will be available in other territories soon after.
Fans can also look forward to special meet-and-greet launch events for Green T in select markets.
Additionally, “Nasty” has shown to be quite a hit for Tinashe. The song has reached No. 1 on the iTunes R&B charts, and is currently pulling in over one million daily streams on Spotify.
Tinashe is teasing the next chapter of BB/Ang3l. Earlier this week, the innovative LA native announced Quantam Baby the second installment of her BB/Ang3l series. Tonight (April 12), Tinashe shared “Nasty,” her pleasantly randy new single.
Over a punchy, futuristic beat, Tinashe lays down the law to unleash the super freak — the contender must match her energy.
“Is somebody gonna match my freak / Need somebody with a good technique? Is somebody gonna match my nasty? / Pillow talking got my throat raspy,” she rap-sings on the song’s opening verse.
“This is that all summer long kinda BOP! It’s meant to make you feel sexy, confident, let loose and maybe even unleash some of that sluttiness inside you,” said Tinashe of the song in a statement.” We all need a daily reminder that we are our own muses, here’s the inspiration to embrace it.”
As is expected with Tinashe, the accompanying visual for “Nasty” features next-level choreography as she and her equally talented dancers turn up the heat in the desert.
The song and video arrive ahead of Tinashe’s Coachella performances this weekend and next.
In the meantime, you can see the video for “Nasty” above.
Tinashe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Last year, Tinashe garnered positive reviews with her September EP, BB/ANG3L, as she joined the wave of US artists reviving the UK garage and drum-and-bass styles. Supported by an immersive video project, The BB/ANG3L Experience, a Tiny Desk Concert, and a co-headlining tour with Shygirl (which was unfortunately canceled for medical reasons), BB/ANG3L debuted a thrilling new direction for Tinashe, whose penchant for blending pop and R&B found its most effective outlet yet in the dance music revival.
It looks like she’ll continue going in that direction as today, she announced BB/ANG3L PT. 2 — Quantum Baby is coming soon, sharing a pre-save link with a unique, Mad Max-ish trailer. In the video, a sports car tricked out to look like a real war machine is chased through the desert by drones, evoking a futuristic, somewhat dystopian world for the new project — which is right in line with much of the world-building Tinashe has done around her music since going independent some years ago. (Maybe she’s been playing the hell out of Cyberpunk 2077 and its anti-corporate ethos really resonated with her after her misadventures in the major label system.)
Modern Black femme artists are reveling in the spoils of dance music reentering the mainstream, not that it hasn’t been here all along. Staking claim to 1990s house music were vocalists Caron Wheeler, Robin S., Cece Peniston, and Crystal Waters, who often melded gospel tones with club-oriented production. Janet Jackson ruled the dancefloor with energetic choreography, disruptive sounds bespoke to her album-to-album evolution, and lyrics that prioritized her largely queer fanbase. Over time, Black women have seen the futurities of a genre that they shaped and, rightfully, continue to shift.
Breaking new ground for underrepresented dance communities was Beyoncé’s seventh album, Renaissance, which made the music icon the first Black woman to win a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. The masterpiece was Beyoncé’s first dalliance with an album concept of escapism, heard throughout its pulsating, 16-track rush. Post-Renaissance, the dance phenomenon has been ongoing, with Black women bringing the underground to the mainstream field on a grand scale.
The movement will only go further as artificial intelligence, techy aesthetics, counterculture parties and the return of true remix albums take the forefront. Renaissance was just the reintroduction, and perhaps a reawakening, for audiences to sit up and take notice of the contemporary Black female artists who’ve been on the dance music moodboard for years.
Perhaps matriarchal of the progressive Black dance culture resurgence, Kelela envisions an underground nirvana that underrepresented and queer communities can thrive in. Introduced to some as an alt-R&B vocalist who had not one but two guest features on Solange’s 2013 Saint Heron compilation, the D.C. native took shape on her cutting-edge debut mixtape, Cut 4 Me, released just one month before.
Kelela kept pushing creativity within her Warp Records collection, whether brief but potent (Hallucinogen), sexily haunting (Take Me Apart), or a masterclass in nightclub liveliness and comedowns (Raven). On the first anniversary of Raven, the LP got a remix edition, Rave:n, the Remixes, a pastiche to Take Me a_Part, the Remixes, because it isn’t a Kelela album rollout without her highlighting top-notch producers. Leading the new dance frontier with seductive vocals and sounds that bend subgenres, Kelela adventurously forms new worlds.
The music of pop and alt-R&B heroine Tinashe became enshrouded in dance-forward grooves after her 2019 split from RCA Records. Although the singer released three albums with the label, including her 2014 debut Aquarius, which featured the smash “2 On,” Tinashe had creative differences with RCA, along with inadequate promotion. Freed from depending on major label support, 2019 marked the year of reinvention for Tinashe, who channeled her early 2010s mixtape run on her first independent album, Songs for You.
The release was a salve from the choppy rollouts of Tinashe’s prior three albums, as she directly reintroduced the vibes to her fanbase, whom she affectionately calls ‘SweeTees.’ Songs like “Stormy Weather,” “Save Room for Us,” “Die a Little Bit” and “Perfect Crime” leaned on candied dance-pop and electronic, making it a hint towards the preternatural and psychedelic 2021 album 333 and the experimental LP BB/Ang3l, which dropped last year.
Embracing the latest technology – Tinashe used VR headsets in her 333 launch – and maintaining a highly-choreographed aesthetic, she recently brought viewers into her visual album and virtual performance, The BB/Angel Experience. Featured on the rapid new single “Zoom” with electronic/IDM producer Machinedrum, Tinashe’s just getting restarted, and we’re all bearing witness to her infallible ride through the dance space.
Dallas-born and raised artist Liv.e expands her radical take on R&B into hints of electronic and drum and bass on her sophomore album, Girl in the Half Pearl. From neo-soul roots (some liken her style to Erykah Badu, pioneer of the subgenre), Liv.e went from SoundCloud beginnings into groundbreaking status, with GITHP teetering between twitchy ballads and unconventional post-breakup cure-alls.
The LP was an aperture to its own electronic remixed version, GITHPREMIXEDITION, entirely produced by fellow Dallas native Ben Hixon, with Liv.e being tapped as a feature on Kelela’s Rave:n, the Remixes. Putting her own spin on dance, Liv.e makes listeners agog to hear what world she’ll bring us into next.
Overseas, noteworthy Black female artists in the UK are making a statement in dance music, essentially, due to the genre connecting to British audiences at the turn of the ‘90s. Nearly three decades later, we’ve met international sensation PinkPantheress, who found her footing on TikTok, where she hybridized garage, drum and bass, and syrupy hyperpop. Racking up fandom for her loosies on the social media platform offered PinkPantheress worldwide recognition. While she topped the charts with Ice Spice (“Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2”), she hasn’t compromised her energetic and quirky appeal.
Deconstructed club, alt-pop, and grime darling Shygirl opened the doors to Club Shy, her latest EP, where the South Londoner brought the masses into her saucily warped universe. Months before Shygirl unveiled the project, she caught the attention of Beyoncé, who gave her a spot as an opener on a London stop of the Renaissance World Tour. Apart from her Tinashe-assisted single “Heaven,” Shygirl was also on Rave:n, the Remixes, laying claim to the JD. Reid remix of “Holier,” where she traded rhapsodic notes with Kelela.
Skilled junglist, music producer, DJ, and vocalist Nia Archives touches upon drum and bass, and dancehall in her fearless works. She deejayed and freely danced alongside Jorja Smith last year when she dropped her since-viral take on Smith’s “Little Things,” and she’s kept us partying for the last five years. Since giving us a masterclass on breakbeats and global flair on EPs Headz Gone West, Forbidden Feelingz, and Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall, she’ll explore deeper dance terrain on her debut album Silence Is Loud, due next month.
Black women in all scopes of dance music — we’d be remiss not to mention amapiano, industrial, and Jersey club — are elevating it past its outdated boundaries. Motion in the wide-ranging genre will persist as long as we welcome diverse perspectives because the rise in Black femme-forward dance isn’t a reclamation; the space has always been ours.
Tinashe unveiled her new twenty-minute immersive video project, The BB/ANG3L Experience. Following her recent tour of the East Coast for her album, BB/ANG3L, the visual opens with the definition of “stamina.”
Tinashe then shows off seamless choreography across several different songs, including “Treason” and “Talk To Me Nice.” She served as a creative director on the visual, and Mike Ho was the director. Finally, choreographer Shay Latukolan helped the team pull the pieces and moves together.
“This was a piece of art that I’ve been wanting to create for a very long time,” Tinashe shared in a statement. “The BB/ANG3L Experience is an immersive visual, a live experience, a piece of art that documents the athleticism and creative depths I am constantly striving to deliver in my art whether it’s live or on film. Working alongside Shay Latukolan was amazing, we were really able to tell the story of my project BB/ANG3L through movement.”
“Filming it all with the mindset of delivering the energy of a one-shot one-take visual experience was both challenging and rewarding,” she added. “From curating the lighting, the specific camera movements with the choreography, to the energy it took for us to dance through each song as a whole over and over again perfectly and all in one day, it is an achievement I am very proud of. I hope you all enjoy watching it as much I loved creating it for you.”
Check out Tinashe’s The BB/ANG3L Experience above.
Tinashe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
