Black female musicians are far too often critiqued exclusively through the limited frame of how brash and loud their voices are. Meanwhile, their contemporaries, many who aren’t Black and/or women, have historically been judged also by other music-making elements—songwriting, choreography, production, stage presence. Ten years ago, Tinashe debunked all of those rules. In 2014, she dropped her debut album Aquarius, scored her first Billboard Hot 100 entry with the Schoolboy Q-assisted “2 On,” and introduced the world to the dance-fueled, genre-shifting artist whose knack for creating up-tempo drum patterns made her a formidable pop dynamo.
But the industry didn’t seem quite ready for it. Five years and two albums later, she left her label RCA (citing creative differences) and embarked on an independent route that led to four more albums on which Tinashe had total control. She understood that no label could define the breadth of her artistry.
“I feel like when I first got in the game, I really pushed against wanting to be put in a box or be pigeonholed and now that I don’t hold on to that so rigidly, we’re starting to see more and more Black women being accepted as the pop stars that we are,” Tinashe tells ELLE.com. “I feel like we don’t have to over-explain ourselves. I’ve always considered myself a pop star, and I would love to see even more of that happen in the future.”
Her latest album Quantum Baby feels like a full-circle moment, but on her own terms. The eight-track LP boasts the viral hit “Nasty,” which saw the 31-year-old back on the Billboard charts (10 years after her first entry) and in the minds of everyone who rhapsodized about finding someone to “match their freak” this summer. For roughly 20 minutes, the California native takes listeners on a seductive late-night drive that’s filled with saccharine croons of lustful escapades and pulsating desires.
It’s a “Nasty” summer, indeed.
ELLE.com talked to Tinashe about her new music, her upcoming tour, and what this current era of her career means to her.
What does it mean to be a quantum baby?
To me, it’s kind of a metaphor for how I feel in my life. I really wanted this album to reflect where I am, which is kind of living in this catch-22 between being very strong and also being very vulnerable, having the two sides of the same coin, and the duality there. I was very inspired by the quantum paradox in the regard that it’s okay that there’s not a lot of answers. When we break down the universe to a very, very, very, very core level, there’s a lot of questions and unanswered questions and things that we still don’t know, and I just find that really interesting and intriguing and kind of reminds me of myself as a human being.
Are there things that you learned about yourself while creating this album?
I feel like every time that I make a project, I continue to reaffirm for myself that my ideas are good ideas, and trusting my instinct goes a long way. I feel like so many of these records have been connecting with people and in ways that I wouldn’t have even imagined, so that’s a really great feeling.
Quantum Baby is the second installment of a trilogy. What was the impetus behind doing a trilogy for these songs instead of just releasing all of them on one album?
In 2024, you’re forced to adapt as creatives. As somebody who’s always been kind of an album artist, I love the process, and I love to make a full body of work. It’s always been a mystery of how to get people to really appreciate albums in the way that they used to, and really be able to let every single song shine and feel like it has an entire rollout without feeling like you put all this work into a project and and people listen to it, and three months later they’re like, “Where’s the next one?’ To combat that, I wanted to have the next one prepared, and I wanted to give people installments and leave them wanting more and allow everyone to really sink their teeth into every single piece of every single song.
“Thirsty” is one of the strongest songs on the album. How did that come together?
“Thirsty,” I feel, is very classic Tinashe in the sense that it isn’t trying to be anything other than that. I think there’s a lot of things that make it feel classic, like the reverse vocal—I played a lot with that effect during my Nightride era. I wrote this song completely by myself in the studio with my engineer, so it’s one of those songs that just feels really truly me. It was produced by one of my brother’s close friends, so that was also cool. It feels very organic and like in the family and, yes, I love that record.
So far in this trilogy, the albums are featureless, which is different from your previous work. Was that intentional?
I love collaborating. I love hearing what other people bring to a record and how they can add their energy. But I felt like for this project, I really wanted to just streamline again because it’s so short and it’s just so succinct, so I wanted to just streamline my ideas, streamline the fact that it was all me.
I really love the beat switch on “Cross That Line.” Can you speak on how you created that song?
Thank you. “Cross That Line” is probably the newest record from this project. I wrote that pretty recently, like in May, maybe in Miami, and it was l just using all of the different elements that I love, which is playing with tempo and also obviously writing a song that feels emotional, can connect with someone, but wanting to take an interesting approach to how we were approaching the drums and the percussion and the energy of the song.
The cover art for Tinashe’s Quantum Baby.
“Nasty” has been everywhere this summer. When you created that song, did you know it would be a hit?
I mean, no, only because I really don’t set those kinds of expectations for myself anymore. I just try to create the best record and something that just feels good, and that was how that song came about. But at the same time, yes, in a sense, because I feel like every record that I make, or a lot of my records, I have that “this feels like a hit” kind of mentality. But I definitely didn’t know it would be that big.
Who came up with the line “match my freak?” It feels like a mantra, in some ways.
I did, it just kind of popped into my head. Honestly, it was a freestyle. So it wasn’t even something that I was really thinking too much about. I actually remember when I came up with that line, thinking to myself, like, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say this before. It was just one of those ideas.
With the success of that song, would you say this is a renaissance for your career?
Sure. I mean, I love that. I think part of having longevity in the music business is constantly reinventing yourself and allowing there to be constant opportunities for renaissances to happen, so I’m excited for sure. It feels good.
Who would you say is matching your freak? That seems to be the existential question of the summer. Everyone’s trying to crack that code.
I know. So have I, honestly. The first thing that comes to mind is that my fans have really been matching my freak, they’ve been meeting with me where I’m at with this project, and they’ve had so much excitement, so much support for me. Everyone’s buying their tickets for the tour right now, so it just feels like all the energy is there and I’m giving it to them. They’re giving it right back to me.
What fuels your creative energy? What’s the recording process like for you?
I really like to just feel very at home, very comfortable. I literally like to record a lot of my music at home, in my own space. Anything that can make me feel the most authentic is gonna give us the most authentic record. So when I’m feeling good, when I’m feeling like myself, I’m surrounded by people I love, all those things help me get into a good creative headspace.
Is that how “Nasty” came about?
Yeah, I actually wrote “Nasty” over the holidays, like around Christmas vacation, Thanksgiving time. That definitely kind of reflects that comfortable space of being at home. When I’m at home for a long time, I get antsy and I get inspired to try what’s next. I’m always thinking what’s next, so I think that’s why a lot of times over the holiday break, I come up with good ideas as well.
I know Janet Jackson is a huge influence for the way you approach your music. How did she inspire this album? I can hear The Velvet Rope on Quantum Baby.
The Velvet Rope is my favorite album of all time. I feel like that album really sets the standard for someone being genreless. It’s theatrical. It touches on so many different sounds: drum and bass, house, R&B, pop. It goes to so many different places. There’s sound effects, there’s a world-building aspect that I love that’s very visceral. There’s so many good references. Gosh, there’s just so many free zones I feel like it’s such a crazy record, like, opening it up for the gay community at the time that she initially put that record out, I think that was just amazing and innovative. “Empty,” (a track on The Velvet Rope) is a huge reference point. Whenever I get in the studio with people, I’m always referencing “Empty.” The mix on that is just insane. I love the tempo, the fact that it feels so zen and slow and mighty and emotional, but then it has this crazy tempo and drum pattern happening in it. I just love all the specifics, and I’m just a huge fan.
This year marks a decade since your debut album. What would you tell the Tinashe who was about to release her first record?
I’ve just learned so much. I’ve had so many experiences and there’s really no substitute for that. I’m just wiser, I move smarter, I’m more empowered in my own ideas and myself as a creative, so those are the biggest differences. I would tell baby Tinashe to focus on the long game. Focus on your legacy. Don’t get caught up in the day-to-day, and continue to just enjoy the ride because it’s really a ride.
Where do you see the future of Tinashe?
Who knows? Honestly, I just love to create. Whatever’s inspiring me, I hope to follow that path. So in 10 years, if it’s still creating music, absolutely, if it’s doing something else creative, I’m into that. I’m excited about the possibilities for the future and where my music can go—the world’s my oyster. I’m just seeing and finding out the way y’all are finding out.
You’re going on tour this fall. What can fans expect?
The tour is always going to be high energy, brand new choreography, new songs, obviously. So if you’ve seen a show before, this is going to be an entirely new experience. And I’m really, really excited to get back on the road. I love performing.
And what can people expect next in this trilogy?
I don’t know—that’s the other thing. It’s like I’ve given myself the ability to also evolve. And so the creative, I think, will continue to evolve and change as well. I’m inspired by everything that’s happening with this project, and I’ll use that inspiration to continue to curate the rest of it.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
DeAsia Paige is freelance music and culture writer whose work has been featured in Pitchfork, NPR Music, Teen Vogue, and more. Her writing primarily focuses on the intersection of race, culture and music. She’s a firm believer that there is a Real Housewives of Atlanta moment for everything. DeAsia is based in St. Louis, MO.