Blurring the lines of R&B and hop hop, Chicago-born rapper and singer Tink has been bringing her emotional resonance to visceral, entertaining soundscapes since her artistic inception over a decade ago. With countless big hitting singles and explorative bodies of work, her reputation proceeds herself, undoubtedly one of the most potent and charismatic names within the US R&B space.

This year saw Tink unveil perhaps her most confident and refined project to date, Thanks 4 Nothing. Boasting features from Ty Dolla $ign and Yung Bleu, the EP is genre-defiant, bursting with colourful production and savvy lyrical prowess. To celebrate the release of her stellar latest LP, Tink has been touring both North America and Europe. She recently took to London, Paris, Cologne and Amsterdam, blessing fans this side of the Atlantic with a rousing performance of the album.

In the midst of her tour, we had the opportunity to catch up with the R&B superstar, discussing the changing industry, her tour, and the making and message of Thanks 4 Nothing.

Listen to the album…

Read the interview…

Hey TINK! How are you? How has 2023 been treating you is far?
In this moment, I’m feeling relieved. ‘23 has been a crazy year. A little exhausting at times. Between touring and working nonstop on new music , I’m just proud to be pushing through. Reaching new goals! 

Talk to us a bit about how you fell in love with singing and songwriting.  
I fell in love with music as a young kid. I grew up with a studio in my basement ; my father is a musician and a studio engineer. So I would study him and the artists that would come over to record. He taught me how to create beats and lay vocals when I was 12. I got addicted to it and I’ve been producing myself ever since. 

TINK is a striking artist name. Can you expand on the meaning behind it?
TINK is what my friends around the neighbourhood would call me growing up in Chicago. My real name is Trinity, and Tink was a quick way to call out for me. 

Congratulations on your European tour “Tink & Friends: Thanks 4 Everything”! What does this tour signify to you? 
Thank you ! For me , this tour was an eye opener. It Almost felt unreal at times. Simply because I’ve never traveled much outside of the U.S. I had no idea I had so much support  and love outside of the states. It showed me how powerful my music really is. To see it translate in another country was wild. Very unexpected. 

What does it mean to you to be performing a sold out show in London? What are you looking forward to the most? 
I performed in London 5 years ago back in 2018. And I just remember being so nervous and uncertain before the show. This time around we sold out the venue twice, and honestly I never felt more ready. There’s a different confidence in me this time around. I was actually having fun.

You recently performed in your hometown, Chicago, what was this experience like?
The Chicago show was one of the best nights of the tour. Performing at home is a different energy. The fans are true day ones, so there was a lot of love in the building . I hit the stage with Jeremih for the first time ever … I was happy to share that moment with him. I also brought out some of the new female rappers coming up in Chicago; MONI DA G, Kashh Mir, Amari Blaze. It was a Chicago movement that night for sure.

This tour is supporting your fourth studio album, “Thanks 4 Nothing”. Can you delve into the message behind this studio album?
Thanks 4 Nothing arrived around Valentines Day. I wanted to drop an album for my single girls or for anyone going through a difficult time in a relationship. It’s a darker, harder album than my previous one “Pillow Talk” and the message is that you can thrive ! no matter who disappoints us. Sometimes it’s a blessing to be let down, that’s where we find our strength for real. 

What challenges did you face during the creation of “Thanks 4 Nothing”? 
I think my hardest challenge was the album cover. The initial vision was for me to be alone in a room full of couples. I wanted it to look like I went out for a date and got stood up. We shot it but it didn’t really connect the way I wanted it to.  So about two weeks before I dropped the Album I shot the cover again , this time as Cupid . It was risky but it came together in the end.

Your 2011 debut mixtape “Winter’s Diary” sparked your artistry. Can you tell us the story of how this initial mixtape was picked up and how you got to where you are today?
“Winter’s Diary” was a real diary for me. I was honestly just experimenting. I was free. Had no expectations. A lot of those records were recorded in my room at my desk. Bonnie & Clyde was the first song to take off and it set the tone for my career. I hit up DJ Hustlenomics to host it. And at the time he was pushing a lot of Chicago drill rappers, so it brought it in even more attention in the streets. The entire tape is about young hood love. That’s been my foundation ever since.

In your opinion, how has the R&B industry changed since 2011?
Since 2011 I think the r&b industry is more accepting to different styles of r&b. It’s more edgy and about the vibe now. The topics are a lot more vulgar. It’s evolving. We’re allowed to push the envelope more. Artist don’t have to be so safe and clean 24/7.

What is one bit of advice you would give to someone starting out their singer/songwriter career?
My advice would be to drop as much music as you can … You never know what song is going to blow. A lot of my bigger records were songs I didn’t pay much attention to. Don’t think too deep in the beginning. That stage is fun because there was no heavy pressure… let the music marinate!