Tinashe has been making waves in the industry for a few years now. Her debut single, “2 On” was a massive Top 40 hit. She’s toured with both Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry. She’s collaborated with Britney Spears. I mean the girl has put out four mixtapes and one album in four years! Even with all that she’s accomplished in just a few short years, she hasn’t truly been received by the public yet.
Unlike other artists, like Iggy Azalea or even Meghan Trainor, she hasn’t had the privilege of becoming an overnight success. She had a decent single that created a good amount of buzz, but it wasn’t quite enough to solidify her spot in the limelight. Sure, Tinashe's made a name for herself within the industry, but she hasn’t really received great commercial success just yet. Because of this, or maybe just pressure from her label, she’s been changing her sound.
Her 2014 hit “2 On” was a great success for the singer, but it wasn’t necessarily her style. It was a generic, yet catchy, radio single. It was fun, but it wasn’t her. This was fine, but fans noticed that the song didn’t reflect her usual alternative r&b style. But the song was a hit, so whatever. Next was “Pretend” which featured the singer sporting sort of Britney Spears-esque, whiny vocals. Eh. A year later, Tinashe put out “Superlove” in hopes of a “2 On” repeat. No such luck, unfortunately.
Though the singer has played around with different sounds, she hasn’t quite shown the world who she is. Sure, she gave them a taste of her incredible dance ability as a part of BET’s 2015 Janet Jackson tribute. She showed her personality a bit when she hosted the 2016 VMA pre-show. She even gave a glimpse at how multifaceted she is when she appeared in Alexander Wang’s Fall 2016 campaign. The star even gave fans some sex appeal in the “Slumber Party” video with Britney Spears, but she has so much more to offer.
She’s an incredible artist and performer and has yet to reach her full potential! Personally, I’ve been a fan since I heard her first mixtape “In Case We Die” back in 2012. I was impressed by the level of artistry, as she wrote, produced, and recorded the entire project in her BEDROOM. I was thankful that she filled the mixtape with broader concepts rather than just love songs or break-up songs. Additionally, I was drawn to how different it was and how she embraced her differences.
The singer wasn’t trying to fit in, and quite frankly, she didn’t have to. Further, she shouldn’t have to. She’s unique and actually talented. She should be dominating the charts and racking up awards (she deserved at LEAST a VMA nomination for "All Hands On Deck"). Tinashe has the potential to be a huge superstar, all she needs is for the world to give her a chance.
