Soaring star and R&B-pop household name, Tinashe, graces us with her sixth studio album, BB/ANG3L, along with the release of two stellar new tracks, “Needs” and “Talk To Me Nice”. Entering an era of new found confidence and not taking life too seriously, Tinashe offers up a playful music video, set in a grocery store for “Needs”. The artist is seen reigning your everyday superstore with punchy choreography to pair with the electric lyricism of this magnetic single. In an effort to connect with her fanbase more, the artist is choosing to inject a more fun -loving side to her artistry, in her own words, “The video has a lot of symbolism behind it. I wanted to start by stripping away the old identity of maybe who I was with my last album, my last project, and reveal this fresh, raw, bare-faced, totally honest version of myself that is now going into this next era.”

Tinashe never fails to bring high energy, infectious tracks to the table, but something about this new era has definitely pricked our ears. With an upcoming winter tour on the horizon, co-headlining with no other than Shy Girl, we are loving seeing the industry heavyweight have more fun with her artistry. We were lucky enough to sit down with Tinashe to discuss the standout deli scene in “Needs”, the inspiration behind her new album and the key advice she would give to those embarking on their veru own musical journey…

Watch “Needs” now…

Listen to the full album…

Read the exclusive interview below…

How are you? What does a day in the life look like for you at the moment?
I’m doing really well. I’m getting excited about the release of this project. I’ve been working on it for about two years now, so every time that you get ready to gear up to release a project, I think you have to kind of let that moment sink in and live in the moment, take it all in because you don’t get to drop new music every day. I’m trying to savour it and enjoy how excited all the fans are.

Could you talk to us about the message behind “Needs”? What was the creative process like behind the track?
“Needs” is one of the more lighthearted songs that I’ve put out in a while. It feels fun. It feels free. It feels confident. It reflects where I am right now in my life and how I’m feeling as an artist and as a woman. Very much maturing and feeling very confident in who I am, what I want, what I like, and what I don’t like. That comes with playful, carefree energy because I guess you don’t have to take life, relationships, yourself, or whatever so seriously. You can just lean into the fun of things.

It was such a fun music video, in the grocery store. How did this concept come to life and what was it like shooting the video for it?
I wanted people to get to know me on like a very personal level and I wanted it to feel like it was giving some insight into who I am as an individual. That made me want to explore very mundane spaces and less studio-type spaces, places that felt more like day-to-day, every day, where you could get to know me more. That’s initially where I thought of doing it in a grocery store.

In the song, I mention my body being a buffet and then I mention peaches. I thought, “Okay, maybe I want to be laying out on a deli meat display as a buffet and make that literal. Where else to do that other than a grocery store? I wanted to be able to use the levels of the cash registers, the produce section and to be able to dance and stand on them all. I love the levels in this video.

The choreography in it is insane. How much input do you have? How involved are you end to end with it?
With a new song and a new music video, it’s so important to pick the right collaborator when it comes to working with a choreographer. You need someone who’s going to bring out the right energy for that particular track. I have been training in dance since I was four years old, so I can do a lot of different styles, I use that as a lot of different influences for my songs, so that’s why it’s fun for me to be able to collaborate with different choreographers to just bring out different vibes for different songs.

For “Needs”, I wanted it to be very cinematic and picturesque when it came to the movement. I wanted it to be a lot of group choreography, creating a lot of vignettes, something that looked very visually pleasing, bringing a new dynamic to the movement. I worked with Nina, who also choreographed my video for “Naturally” and she’s amazing.

The video has a lot of symbolism behind it. I wanted to start by stripping away the old identity of maybe who I was with my last album, my last project, and reveal this fresh, raw, bare-faced, totally honest version of myself that is now going into this next era.

Congratulations on your new album BB/ANG3L! What does this album signify to you? What is the message behind it?
It’s a celebration of this identity that I’m embodying. I just want people to get to know me differently. I want to have a more intimate connection with my fans and with the public. I want to create a feeling as if I’m having these intimate moments where I’m able to share secrets, almost like a friend, and whisper in the ears of the people who are consuming my music, and listening to my art.

BB Angel is about having that closeness, intimacy, being myself, and being very authentic. That’s the main message that I’m trying to get across.

We’re also obsessed with “Talk To Me Nice” too. What is this song about?
I thought it was a great way to start the era because it encapsulates that energy I want to embody, having this sense of confidence, this sense of, “I know who I am. I know what I want. So Talk To Me Nice!” It’s an invitation to come to the table with something great and match my energy. It’s also playful, mysterious, and coy. It shows me having these ups and downs emotionally throughout the track as I do with the entire album. It’s a great reflection of the body of work and shows the transitions the album takes as a whole, in terms of like sonics. It has this beautiful, very experimental energy to it, which I love. I tried to capture this for the whole project as well.

You recently announced that you’re going to be co-headlining with Shy Girl for a tour of North America this fall. What are you most excited about this tour?
I’m most excited about creating a new show. I think a new album, gives you a new opportunity to have a different creative approach on stage as well. And so I’m going to be visually reimagining, a lot of my old songs, as well as incorporating my new songs. Being able to perform new things helps me stay inspired as a performer and keep it interesting and fun.

I’m excited about new choreography, new vibes, getting back in the studio, and getting into some rehearsals for a couple of weeks.

How many shows will that be?
There are 14 shows on the tour. It’s important to have some type of pace because it’s so fun, but they’re really intense. I’ve done insane runs where I’ve done five shows in a row, back-to-back, and then you’re driving or flying in between. I kind of like the challenge, of being on the road.

Are you looking forward to working closely with Shy Girl? Are you guys close?
We met through music and cultivated a friendship and relationship through music spaces. So it’s not like we are like old childhood friends or anything like that, but I think it’s always great to be able to have people in the industry, like your peers, someone that you can root for and can root for you. Especially women and to have great collaborative energy amongst each other as well.

It’s going to be fun to have all women on the tour, DJ UNIIQU3 is opening for us as well, which is going to be super sick.

What is your opinion of the current R&B pop scene, particularly within the US?
I think we’re in a really interesting place right now, I feel like we’re on the brink of some really exciting stuff. You hear a lot of new artists coming out that are embracing a new idea of what they think R&B, hip hop, and the whole genre is. I think artists will continue to experiment within the genre as it develops into something new and fresh because I do think that there were maybe a few years where it felt a little bit stagnant. We were hearing a lot of the same types of rhythms, beats, and performances. People are hungry for that innovation.

What would you say has been a major pinch-me moment for you so far in your career?
I continuously have them, I think that that’s one of the things that keeps you having longevity in a career. Continuously being impressed, inspired, and in awe of the things that get to happen to you. So, you know, I have those all the time. I get to do so many amazing things. Whether it be to attend the Grammys, release an album, and have a party or be on a yacht in some exotic place and bring my family with me. It’s really important to stay grateful and have gratitude.

What is one key piece of advice you would tell a young artist starting in their career?
I would say focus on your long-term goals as a creative, focus on your overall story, what you want to tell, who you want to be, and continue to evolve that dream. Don’t get caught up in the day-to-day, comparing yourself to others or checking your numbers. It’s so much more important and also fulfilling as an artist to focus on your legacy, what you’re going to leave behind, creating work that you’ll be proud of in 20-30 years.

Who have been inspirations to you throughout your professional career?
Janet Jackson, because I think she just really encompasses all of the things that are important to me as an artist and an entertainer.

She’s amazing in all aspects, from performance to style to the different types of songs that she creates to her interviews and her poise. There are just so many things within her artistry, her stage presence, her dancing… I strive to be an all-around excellence from all angles. So she’s a great example of that.

Are there any other exciting projects that you can share with us?
The thing I will say is the BB/ANG3L universe will continue to evolve. I’m very excited that this is just the beginning of where I hope to take it creatively.