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Tinashe’s tunnel vision

TINASHE with TAYA MARQUIS at Tattoo (567 Queen W), Saturday (December 13). 9pm. $29.50. RT, PDR, SS.


The last time Tinashe appeared onstage in Toronto she was strutting around the Molson Amphitheatre performing her single 2 On at OVO Fest with Drake and his BFF OB O’Brien.

Two months earlier, the rapper surprised the 21-year-old singer/songwriter — whose full name is Tinashe Kachingwe — by remixing her DJ Mustard-produced Top 40 radio hit, which stands out as a rare high-energy moment among the moody, silk pajama-conducive bedroom jams that dominate her debut album, Aquarius (RCA/Sony).

“That was obviously cool that they were able to reach out and remix the song,” she recalls. “It shows they respect the song and they were a fan of the music. It was great to be able to perform at that venue. I had a good time.”

Tinashe’s show at Tattoo this weekend will mark her first proper headlining gig in the city. Though the album encompasses an array of hip-hop, electronic and pop influences, her image is very much in line with feline R&B singer/dancers such as Usher, Janet Jackson and Ciara. JaQuel Knight, who choreographed the 2 On video and Beyoncé’s Single Ladies, also worked on the dance routines for the tour.

Onstage the ambiance is heavy on sex appeal, but offstage Tinashe’s vibe is work, work, work. An actor and dancer since age 4, she started her music career as a member of the manufactured teen pop group The Stunners. When that flopped, she turned her attention to writing, producing and singing her own stuff. 

“My drive comes from the crazy tunnel vision,” she says. “I’ve never had a plan B. I’ve always done whatever I could to be successful.”

She self-released three mixtapes made in her bedroom studio – where she also recorded three tracks for Aquarius – that attracted a fanbase and led to collaborations with buzzy electronic producers like Ryan Hemsworth and Jacques Greene.

Her ability to attract a following quickly caught the attention of execs from RCA Records, who signed her and lined up an enviable list of R&B, pop and rap luminaries, including Toronto’s Boi-1da, Sade’s Stuart Matthewman, Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange), Evian Christ, DJ Dahi and Stargate, to collaborate on her debut album.

“I definitely tried to draw from personal experience, things I’ve been though, relationships, and things that I’ve heard from my friends,” she says of the songwriting process. 

Ultimately, Tinashe recorded more than 100 songs during the sessions. The 18 tracks and interludes that made the final cut are in line with the recent trend toward pop-R&B that emphasizes minimal, low-end rhythms and atmospherics.

At first, it took persuading to convince some of these seasoned producers to stick to her vision, but the success of 2 On and the critical accolades for Aquarius have since proved her pop instincts are on point.

“It was a process of trying to get people to realize I was a real artist and not just a cute girl signed to a record label,” she says. “I definitely have a creative perspective. Being new and young in the game, it’s important that people respect you.”

music@nowtoronto.com

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