With the release of her latest project, BB/ANG3L, Tinashe shows that she is not the same artist that she was when she released her debut album Aquarius 9 years ago.
“Hi I’m Tinashe!” the singer says to each member on the Fotografiska photoshoot set as she goes in for a hug, not realizing each person here is a fan in their own right. Her infectious smile that put everyone’s nerves at ease was accentuated by jewel-encrusted teeth that tied in perfectly to the street-style look that she was wearing that day.
Tinashe Kachingwe has been at the forefront of pop culture longer than most people realize. Starting her career in the early 2000s, she entered the entertainment industry with her voice acting roles for a number of popular television shows like Rocket Power, Out of Jimmy’s Head, and even Avatar the Last Airbender. Truthfully, it seems like a yearly discovery that people realize she starred in the 2004 animated film The Polar Express which has generated a number of memes on the internet. Fast forward to 2007, Tinashe became a member of the girl group The Stunners where she worked with other talents like Hayley Kiyoko and headlined for Justin Bieber on his My World Tour. The group disbanded in 2011, allowing Tinashe to focus on her solo career which led to her first solo mixtape In Case We Die.
In 2014, roughly 9 years ago, she released her critically acclaimed album Aquarius under RCA Records. To this day, fans of her look at that album as one of the most cohesive pieces of music released during that time. The trance-like R&B songs paired with some of the most upbeat vibey songs like ‘2 On’ left fans in awe of her talent and artistry. During her time at RCA Records, Tinashe released two more albums, Nightride and Joyride, before departing RCA Records and paving her own path as an independent artist.
Since then, Tinashe’s music has received acclaim across the industry for pushing musical boundaries and being a recording artist in her own league. With the release of her 3rd album as an independent artist, BB/Ang3l, Tinashe solidified her place as one of the music industry’s most consistent and impactful artists.
This era is very intimate, very honest, very raw. I wanted to get rid of a lot of the distractions and extra things so it felt very close and personal … And then also feel like you could just touch me – like a lot of the videos are shot extremely intimately. And a lot of the songs feel very intimate and honest, almost like a journal.
This level of intimacy and closeness Tinashe mentions is channeled through her videos as well. Her lead single for this album ‘Talk To Me Nice” was paired with a music video where Tinashe showcases her emotional range, both vocally and physically.
Tinashe’s music has given her an outlet to put her emotions and feelings on full display. Each project is personal, an ode to the memories, feelings, and emotions she experienced while creating the body of work. From the intro song ‘Treason’ to the very last song ‘TightRope’, it is clear that Tinashe has poured her heart and soul into this project. In just seven songs, Tinashe explores a multitude of topics, such as sex, love, lust, infidelity, and her meaning of independence. These topics, although not new in the R&B genre, are given new life as Tinashe’s silky smooth voice breezes through her creative lyrics. Songs like ‘Treason’ offer an introspective look at infidelity and her views on herself rather than taking the usual “inside looking out” approach. “Must be tragic I desire/ As I’m heading straight towards the fire/ If I still got an angel on my side/ I ain’t tryna take no advice,” from her song ‘Treason’ is one example of how Tinashe is channeling a deeper level of intimacy and confidence through her lyrics. “There is this unspoken level of confidence. An assurance of yourself knowing who you are and how you feel. I have gotten to know myself better over the past few years,” the singer reflects when asked where she drew inspiration from when she was writing these songs.
For Tinashe, each project she creates is a learning experience for her both personally and artistically. Her earlier works evoked a level of confidence that made listeners fall in love with her. However, with this project, Tinashe transcends the notion of confidence and lands in a space where you as the listener feel her intimate understanding of her mind, body, and emotions.
I turned 30 over the course of creating this project. And I think it was such an interesting thought experiment. It puts into perspective a lot of things you have done and gives you some kind of marker of where you have been for over a decade and where you are going next. I think it made me feel even more powerful, even more self-assured, and just made me feel better. It gave me a little boost of confidence and I think that came through in my art as well. I think that is the biggest difference, I am growing up, I am more mature, have better boundaries, and I won’t make compromises that I would’ve done in the past.
This boost of confidence and self-assurance has manifested itself in multiple forms for Tinashe. Part of her power comes from her knowing exactly what she wants, when she wants it. In her second single, ‘Needs,’ Tinashe channels her sex appeal into a song that is infectious. “Open twenty-four hours/ There’s no shirts or shoes required/ Eat your heart out (Yeah)/ My body is a buffet/ Eat my pussy, boy, don’t call me/ I can’t be ya one and only/ Not today (Huh)” is one of the ways Tinashe has fun with her music and gives the listener a bit of a reprise from the intensity in her other songs. Moreover, Tinashe knows how to be the star of the show as shown in the music video for ‘Needs.’ There isn’t another artist out there who can make a swimsuit out of deli meat and still look sexy.
In February 2019, Tinashe announced she had departed from RCA Records. The departure was done on a positive note. Since then, Tinashe has found success as an independent artist, citing that creative control and freedom are back with her and allow her to create music that is personal to her. She is free from the burden of having to make music that follows a formula and can explore herself both sonically and lyrically.
I’ve regained a sense of confidence as a creative, which has been a game changer for me since before going as an independent to after. Now I think I am free to create my best work and that is very empowering as a creative. It makes you realize that your decisions and your perspectives are valid and very critical to your audience understanding what you’re trying to express. I am much more empowered.
Much of Tinashe’s success is attributed to her sound being so distinct and uniquely hers. Each track on her latest release, BB/Ang3l is a testament to that statement. From the smooth sexy vocals on her latest single ‘Needs’, to the assertive tone of her voice paired with a fast-paced beat on her song ‘Tightrope, Tinashe has proven that she can command any beat she creates and still be the star. Her sound bends genres and keeps pushing the envelope of what is considered fresh, new, and current.
I literally don’t attempt to make music within a genre. I purposefully attempt to take it out of its genre place because I think it is more interesting. I get really bored in the studio if I am making something that sounds like something I’ve heard before. I am always trying to push the envelope for myself. Like, what is the weirdest shit we can make for myself. What is the weirdest beat combination, what is the weirdest vocal style, what’s weirder. And then maybe I will bring it back. But, it is way more fun, experimental, and a better process to go that way and try new shit and challenge yourself as opposed to making something you have made 50 times. For me, that gets monotonous. I think it’s fun to try to shake the table.
Tinashe’s music is intricate and very detail-oriented. She is one of those artists that you need to listen to music a few times to fully understand the intention behind every beat, every instrument, and every lyric. Everything is intentional for Tinashe. In her song ‘Uh Huh,’ Tinashe shows a level of restraint with her production and lyrics. With the repetitive “Uh Huhs” throughout the chorus, the singer brings this sexy, dreamy melody to the forefront while simultaneously creating a catchy and sleek vocal hook to it.
That was just very instinctual. There wasn’t too much thought behind it. I just got on the mic and freestyled. I think that is why that song is so special because it’s just true to a feeling and the vibe that I was trying to get when I was in that booth. Sometimes simplicity is good. It’s easy to add a bunch of bells and whistles, but sometimes it is even better to go with the essence of the sound and follow your gut and instinct – purely vibes like not trying to overcomplicate it or overthink it. I think that’s why that song stands out a lot. I think it might be my favorite, maybe … I mean there is a difference between simplicity and carelessness. Obviously, having attention to detail can be simple. But, with this project, the way that all the sounds sound – all the sonics, the melodies, and even the subject matter are all about similar things that are evolving and growing as the project grows. And I think that is where you see that sonic landscape get creative. That cohesiveness and the attention to detail can really come out there because that is where you have room to have songs that feel more simple as well as songs that feel super intricate like ‘Tightrope’ or ‘Treason’ where they are very intricate but can live in the same world as the other songs.
Tracklists to an album are just as important as the content themselves. Bodies of work typically have a flow, and the ordering helps listeners understand the intention the artist had. Throughout Tinashe’s discography, it is clear that she has mastered the art of tracklist ordering and cultivating a particular vibe with how the songs flow into each other.
It felt right to start with ‘Treason’ and it felt the most angsty. You are getting in there and diving deep right away. Lyrically, it is very much like, ‘What the fuck,’ and sonically it is just so in your face. I love to start an album with something in your face. A lot of my album openers are intense and in your face. So this is reflective of that and I think the journey that the album takes you on – there are these ups and downs but then it takes you to a more positive sounding space sonically like with ‘Tightrope.’ I wanted to bring something like from the darkness to the light. Even though the subject matter is similar. It feels like you’re processing an emotion from the beginning to the end.
Tinashe has often been a musical inspiration for many artists, whether they credit her or not. The running joke in a subsection of her fanbase is how many K-Pop artists use Tinashe as the blueprint (compare ‘See Sea’ by Hyolyn to ‘Superlove’ by Tinashe and the inspiration is clear as day). But, for an artist who is the blueprint for so many others, the obvious question is who inspires her.
My biggest one is Janet Jackson. She is so well rounded and encompasses everything good about being an artist. And her music herself was very experimental when it came to sounds and genres as well. Like not really fitting into a genre either. If you really listen to her albums and songs, especially the deep cuts – like one of my favorite Janet Jackson songs is ‘Empty’ on The Velvet Rope because it feels similar to a lot of shit on this album. It’s very ethereal and floaty but then it has this crazy beat that comes in too.
Tinashe is also an example of queer excellence. In her initial interview in 2020 with GAY TIMES, she gets candid about her sexuality, saying that she is somewhere on the queer spectrum. And it is no surprise that much of her fan base consists of queer Black and Brown people who will ride or die for the artist and her music. During our chat, we joked that we consider her one of the “Founding Mothers” of the girls and gays and how she feels about having such a strong queer fanbase. “A Founding Mother!” she laughs. “What an honor, what a pleasure! I mean, I love the queer community. I love celebrating it, being a part of it, having friends in it, seeing the creativity and freedom of this community, the self-expression, everything about it, really.“ During this past pride month, Tinashe performed at The Knockdown Center in NYC as the closing act to one of the biggest pride events in the city.
Before this album was released, Tinashe announced that she was going on tour with the one and only Shygirl. A Tinashe concert can only be described as a religious experience. Not only can Tinashe dance some of the most intricate choreography we have seen, but she will not miss a note while doing it. Tinashe, at the end of the day, is a performer through and through. Having studied dance forms like ballet, jazz, and tap, Tinashe is not a novice when it comes to being the center of attention on stage and putting on a show. However, for this tour, Tinashe mentioned that she will be taking a new approach to her performance.
I am creatively approaching it differently than my last tours so that’s exciting. It is just going to look and feel different. I don’t want to reveal too much right now but I am probably not going to have too many band members on stage and it’s going to be a bit more aesthetically focused. It’s still coming together and we are still figuring it out.
The evolution of Tinashe as an artist is something that could be studied. She carved her own path and navigated the music industry with a vision. Her discography is in a league of its own and with this latest release, it is clear that BB/Ang3l is one of her most cohesive projects to date. With the release of her latest project BB/ANG3L, Tinashe shows that she is not the same artist that she was when she released her debut album Aquarius 9 years ago.
With BB/Ang3l being only 7 songs long, fans have been wondering if Tinashe will be releasing an extended version of the album either as a deluxe or part two album. We asked that million-dollar question and the artist simply responded with:
Maybe!
Photographer: Marcus Derricotté @mderricotte
Stylist: Yasi Guilani @yasixguilani
Additional Styling: Robyn Victoria Fernandes @robynvictoriaf
Cover Writer: Vinesh Vora @bozovinesh
Producer: OJ Williams @ojwilliams4
Cover Design: Ben Schmidt @benjaminryanschmidt
BTS Video Editor: Nathan Smith @fantasticmrsmith
