NEW YORK — Tinashe refuses to retreat from the unknowns in life — or the music industry — but instead embraces them. That’s what makes the success of her cheeky, sarcasm-filled hit, “Nasty,” feel so much sweeter.
“You never really know when it’s going to happen. You can’t really predict it,” he said of the song, which peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100, his second-highest charting track, as well as No. 2 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. “It’s a blessing and something that I’m very excited about.”
The first single off her upcoming album “Quantum Baby,” which is released Friday, “Nasty” blew up when a social media user combined a snippet of the song with an existing clip that had already gone viral. The song also received praise or some kind of shoutout from icons like Beyoncé and Janet Jackson, as well as Christina Aguilera, Anitta and more. Her standout lyric “match my freak” has become a popular catch phrase.
The project is his seventh studio album and the second part of a three-part trilogy. The title alludes to quantum physics, as he hopes fans will enter his personal universe and rediscover him at the most fundamental, molecular level.
“I’ve been really fortunate since leaving my major label, going independent, to be able to focus on what I want to make creatively. And I’ve really refined that process over the last three albums,” said the singer, whose previous album, “BB/ANG3L,” was released last year. “This second part of the trilogy is really focused on getting to know me a little bit more deeply.”
The eight-track project, which is just 22 minutes long, features production from Nosaj Thing, Ricky Reed and SDTroy, and Tinashe wrote every song.
Known for genre-bending, often mixing R&B, pop, dance and electronic elements with precise performance choreography, Tinashe debuted in 2014 with “Aquarius,” her highest-charting album to date. Despite failing to match that success and often languishing in musical uncertainty, she decided to leave the support of RCA’s major label machine due to their troubled relationship. However, she has kept her career afloat, in part thanks to a loyal fan base.
“When I first came into this field, I was young, I was new. I think I’ve learned a lot and gained a lot, first of all, confidence,” Tinashe explained. “Being a young woman in typically male-dominated spaces, there’s usually no other women in the room. And you come in with a producer who’s made all these amazing records and you don’t want to tell them what to do — and they probably won’t listen to you anyway. So, I think now, I just have such a strong sense of what I want to do and am able to give that direction.”
Recorded in her home studio, “Quantum Baby” includes songs like the mellow, trap-soul track “Thirsty” and the vibey, Kaytranada-reminiscent “Getting No Sleep,” her second and current single. Often incorporating a moody and atmospheric sound, there’s also the intro track, “No Simulation,” where she harmonizes, “We’re all searching for something/Where are we going/What do we do?”
“What I’m looking for in my life right now is great experiences and peace of mind,” she said. “I’ve reached a point where I’m not trying to force or create anything anymore.”
Despite past collaborations with platinum-selling artists like Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Future and Nick Jonas, she’s no longer chasing big feature films or producer positions in hopes of improving her chances on the charts.
“’2 On’ was my first single that I ever released. So, I set the bar really high… and there was always this feeling of, ‘Can we do this?’ And that was always at the forefront of my mind when making the record,” he says of his Schoolboy Q-assisted track, which peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, his highest-charting song to date. “I think I’ve made better records because I stopped thinking about how they’re going to perform… I really focus on my instincts and make something that feels good to me.”
What does Tinashe like best now? It’s being free of creative constraints and grappling with industry politics surrounding her career. Her modern style and taste in fashion frequently land her in the front row at fashion shows and red carpet events, and she has expressed interest in returning to acting. In October, she will embark on the 23-date Match My Freak World Tour, produced by Live Nation, to support the music.
The “All Hands on Deck” artist has managed to steady the ship of his career, and he’s willing to live with the consequences of navigating the turbulent music industry seas — as long as he’s the captain.
He said, “Finding satisfaction in yourself and your art is very important for a music artist, because you feel good about what you do because the music industry is so fickle… I started to feel freedom and satisfaction when I didn’t put any expectations on myself.” “That’s real success right now, it’s just making things that I love and focusing on making great art that is timeless”
Follow Associated Press entertainment reporter Gary Gerard Hamilton on all his social media platforms at @GaryGHamilton.
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