Artist Spotlight: Tinashe

Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe, best known simply as Tinashe, has become the princess of R&B the last few years, and her career is just beginning.

Before becoming the princess of R&B, Tinashe acted on stage, television, and the big screen. She provided the motion-capture for the female protagonist in The Polar Express, and later went on to recur as Celeste in Two and a Half Men. Now, some years later, she’s releasing timeless hits and touring the world with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Maroon 5.

Tinashe’s first studio album, Aquarius, was released in October of 2014, and it spawned hits such as “All Hands on Deck” and “2 On,” which features Schoolboy Q. Since then, she has gone on to release Nightride, her second album, in November 2016, along with a variety of singles. One of the singles, “Flame,” temporarily departed from her usual R&B vibes and served a fresh pop beat with smitten lyrics and soaring vocals. Tinashe’s newest singles, “No Drama” featuring Offset and “Faded Love” featuring Future, return the princess to her R&B kingdom – but they’re anything but familiar. They showcase Tinashe’s progress as a singer and performer and are the perfect taste of her upcoming album.

Joyride, whose release was initially planned for 2016, will finally see its release in April of this year. Nightride was released in 2016 instead of Joyride, but W Magazine learned that the two albums are completely different. Where the 2016 album was darker and moodier, its 2018 counterpart will be lighter and more exuberant. This tonal shift is already noticeable with “Faded Love” and “No Drama,” which seem like they would have fit in with the songs on her first album, Aquarius.

In addition to her solo work, Tinashe has collaborated with a number of other artists. “Slumber Party” finds her and Britney Spears gliding over silky verses, while her verse in the remix of Nick Jonas’ “Jealous” adds enough of a jazzy feel to make the song fresh again. She bounces on the entrancing beat of Lost Kings’ “Quit You,” and flaunts herself on Ty Dolla $ign’s “Drop That Kitty,” which also features Charli XCX. With her ever-expanding portfolio and a new album on the horizon, Tinashe has more than cemented her place in music.