Tinashe has no idea why the zeitgeist has kept her in a “niche category” for over a decade. The singer, who hit it big this year with the slow rise of her single “Nasty” — her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 61 in June — tells friend Kaytranada in a chat on Interview magazine that she now feels she's in a great position to make it during a summer when female pop stars are all over the charts.
“I have fans that love me, I can tour, I can make the art I want to make. So I'm pretty satisfied,” said Tinashe, 31, who began her career as a child actress in the early 2000s before breaking into music with her 2012 mixtape. In case we die. “As much as I want all the success and accolades, I've had such a long career, so I'm grateful. But I don't know why [it’s taken so long]. It could be the universe. It could be the way society is set up. Being a black woman in music is hard. There was much disagreement about how to market it. In my early years, people were confused by my genre and my lack of commitment to an urban direction.”
With the Hot 100 chart filled with summer deals from Billie Eilish (“Birds of a Feather”), Sabrina Carpenter (“Espresso,” “Please Please Please”), Chappell Roan (“Good Luck, Babe,” “Hot To Go ” ) and Charli XCX (“Guess” remix with Eilish), Kat asked a very crucial question: “are pop-girl rivalries a real thing?”
Tinashe said yes, but also no. At least not for her.
“Absolutely. I have no rivalries. I love all the girls. But it's classic. It's an extremely competitive place to be in the music business as a woman, because we're taught that there aren't enough seats at the table for everyone, so that creates a lot of competition.” she said. “There's a lot of insidious animosity, little things behind the scenes, people not supporting each other the way male artists might. I've definitely felt that over the years.”
Asked if seeing the successes and failures of other artists sometimes gets in her head, Tinashe said that when she was younger and younger in the game it definitely had a bigger impact on her. “Because part of the human condition is that we tend to compare ourselves to other people. And so when you see the success of people you consider your peers, sometimes it can be difficult,” he said. “I've definitely gone through times where I was like, 'Damn. Everyone I consider my peer is killing me right now. Everyone is doing much better than me.' So it's a practice not to compare myself and focus on my own path.”
Plus, after a decade at the cutting edge of the music industry and releasing seven albums — including this year's Quantum Baby — some of that pressure to look around and compare has disappeared thanks to a legacy of work she can be proud of. “I feel like my work speaks for itself,” he said.
The pair also weighed in on whether Tinashe thinks the industrial plant myth is real. The answer was again yes — some people “go full gas off the machine,” — but also no to the “full narrative” in the speech that also touched on Tinashe's tour rider credentials and her A-list Associates wish list .
“The items on my big list are, like André 3000 — that would be a dream. Janet [Jackson]naturally. James Blake, SZA, I think we could make something really amazing,” he said. “Rosalía, I think we'd make something really dope together. I love working with the girls. There aren't many collaborations with female artists, so I definitely want to do more of them.”
And finally, because of course he had to ask, is there anyone who matches Tinashe's freak?
“I don't know who matches my freak. Honestly, when it comes to romance and things like that, nobody,” she said to the possible dismay of her potential partners. “I'm out here dolo as f–k, doing my thing. I'm having a fun summer though, so I'm not crazy about that.”
In a sweet second thought, though, Tinashe said that if pressed she'd have to say her loyal fans match her freak. “They've been so supportive of this time and been there for me through all the highs and lows,” the singer said. “I really, really appreciate everyone who has supported me through every chapter of my career, because I wouldn't be here without that support.”
Tinashe announced her dates tour-dates-2024-2025-1235747430/”>Match My Freak tour earlier this month, a 23-date jaunt was scheduled to kick off on October 14th at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California before wrapping up in Sacramento on November 25th.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/tinashe-kaytranada-pop-girl-rivalries-interview-1235762895/
