Backstage at BST Hyde Park, the pop star talks about her outstanding performance, new music, and being inspired by Janet Jackson and Beyoncé.
Tinashe, whose name means “God is with us” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe, grew up idolizing strong women performers such as Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé. Raised in California by her White-American mother and Zimbabwean father, Tinashe made a name for herself on the charts with her dance performances and alternative R&B sounds. When she decided to take charge of her musical future and part ways with her record label RCA in 2019, where she had been since she was 20 years old, many wondered what the future held. Not Tinashe! The “All Hands On Deck” singer forged a new path for herself, going on to release two more albums as an independent, Roc Nation-managed artist, “Songs For You” and “333”. Tinashe was also named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2022.
To sit backstage with her, it’s hard not to notice how confident Tinashe is in who she is. The self-assured pop star sat down with Rolling Stone Korea to talk about her BST Hyde Park performance, her new music, and becoming a BLACKPINK fan.
What song were you looking forward to performing? And what song were you surprised that people turned up to?
Honestly, I think the third song in the set "Hopscotch" is when we really start dancing, because at the beginning it's more moody and stuff. So, I was excited to get up there and start doing some choreography and show that side of me, which is always fun. I think I was most surprised at the reaction to "All My Friends", which is always is definitely a crowd-pleaser. But today I saw some people in the audience singing along and it really got everyone's hands in the air, so it's a good vibe.
There is quite an appetite for new music. Any word on what we can expect from your new album in terms of sound, producers, or collaborators?
I have a new song coming in July. I’m very excited about that. Once the new music comes out, we're going to start the rollout into my next project, which is so exciting. I've been working on it for a little over a year and a half now. It’s been cooking, so I'm ready to release it to the world. My favourite time is right before a song drops because that excitement and anticipation is just top-tier. In terms of sound, there are no artist collaborations on this new project, it's all me. In terms of who's been producing it, I've been working a lot with an artist called Machinedrum, who's really amazing. He's more in the electronic, techno space. Which is kind of cool and very fresh. I like that he was willing to take risks. With this new music, I did a lot of genre-combining, and he really brought an electronic side that I loved in the production. Then I balanced that with a lot of R&B melodies and vocals. I hope everyone really likes it.
Tinashe CREDIT - Lou Morris
You've been on tour with some amazing artists - Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, etc. What have you learned from them in terms of the performance aspects of what they do?
I think every time that you go on tour, you learn something different, both from the artists themselves and the audience. Because their fans bring a different dynamic every single time and it's really interesting to see the reflection of the artists in their fans when they come to the show. Nicki's show is one of my favourites, and it was just so much fun. She's really unapologetic onstage. Beyoncé, what's not to idolise about that performance, everything from top to bottom is just inspirational. Katy Perry was really fun as well. I loved touring with her. She really brings the fans together and brings a lot of communities together in an amazing way.
The biggest thing that I've learned from watching other veteran artists on stage is how much they can personalise their performances and how much they can connect with their fans and just talk to them. I think talking to my fans on stage is one of my weak points onstage. I'm not a good talker, I'd rather just dance and sing. I don't want to be like: "Hey, how's everyone doing tonight?" So, I think watching them in real-time has been an inspiration for how to talk to my fans, and how to feel more communal with them.
I need to talk about the “Bouncin” video that was choreographed by the amazing Parris Geobel. I would love to know how long it took for you to master the choreography and if are you going to be working with her again?
I honestly would love to. It was really a pleasure to work with her. I have no plans at this current moment, but you never know what's going to happen with this rollout. I feel like that could definitely happen. I think we only had two days of rehearsal for the music video. We were putting in those hours that day and really left with some bruises, but it was worth it. Just to see my concept come to life. I had this crazy vision where we needed these mini trampolines. I feel like everyone at first was kind of thinking: "oh no, I don't know about that.” But it turned out so cool. And I feel like it was a really special moment for me.
You are half Zimbabwean. I would love to know if you would ever dabble in Amapiano or Afrobeats?
I would love to, but honestly, I feel I need to spend more time in the community to really experiment with that in a very legitimate way. I have never been to Zimbabwe, unfortunately. It's at the top of my list of things that I need to do and place I want to go. I want to bring my whole family there. My dad hasn't been back since he was like six years old. So once that happens, I feel like it would be really, really important for me to reconnect with that culture, and then really immerse myself in the music. And I'd love to do that. I love to be able to like play with different genres already. I think that it is something that in the future, I would love to explore.
You've gone from being with a label to being independent, what advice would you give people coming into the industry, about the routes that are available to them?
I think that you have to really consider both sides. There are pluses and minuses to both. Working with a major label gives you access to so many different spaces, so many different rooms, and so many different tables that you would never have a seat at. My label introduced me to so many artists that I got to collaborate with, it really put me on the map. I feel very thankful for my experience with the record label. But on the flip side, I do think being independent has so much more fulfillment. Being able to make your own decisions, being able to run your own business, and being able to decide when you put on music, what music you put out. So, I would say really tap into your heart in terms of what is most important to you. Is it genuine artistic integrity, being able to run your own business, doing what you want to do? Or do you want more access, more of the big machine behind you? Both of those are great for different reasons. But just consider obviously, when you do sign with a label, there are way more people that have to sign off on everything. There are so many more cooks in the kitchen. It's just not as personal as an independent artist. You’ve just got to follow your heart.
Tinashe CREDIT - Lou Morris
You have such big following in South Korea, members of BTS, BlackPink, GOT7, and many K-pop idols have given you praise. I wanted to know if there's anything entertainment-wise coming out of South Korea that has caught your eye.
BLACKPINK, to me, is a real standout right now. I saw them at Coachella, and I was just so impressed. I think they're really, really amazing. So right now, I would consider myself a BLINK. It's a really nice feeling to know that I have that kind of support in Korea and that they recognise what I do on stage. I hope to be able to collaborate with some K-pop artists in the future because I haven't actually crossed that bridge yet, but that's something I would love to do.
How do you define success for yourself today?
When I am confident in what I have put out. When my creative vision comes to life. Then I'm like “Oh, I was really successful in this”. I think anytime that I've felt that I've made compromises in terms of what my art looks like, or what songs I put out then that's the one time where you feel if it doesn't perform well, you're like, "I knew better.” I think if you put out what you believe is your best work, and you put all your energy into that, then, whatever the numbers, whatever the stats are, it doesn't matter, because the core of success is being able to create something that you're proud of in 10, 20 years from now. Also, success is being able to have a long career, have longevity, and be able to continue to make art for 10, 20, 30 years. That's the goal.
