Tinashe Says She Knew “Nasty” Was Different When Kehlani Reached Out — EXCLUSIVE

Few people are having a year like Tinashe. The R&B/pop singer, who struck out on her own in 2019 after years of disappointing treatment at her record label, is experiencing a summer to remember with her runaway hit single “Nasty.” (For some additional context, she hasn’t had a song chart on Billboard since 2016.) But “Nasty” immediately connected with TikTok users, and, with some help from a viral dance, it’s now playing on radio stations and boomboxes around the country.

Tinashe’s commitment to her vision, voice, and talent made her an apt match for Urban Outfitters’ just-released back-to-school campaign, titled Shift Happens, which honors individuality by spotlighting the singer alongside 10 unique Gen Z voices. Each influencer was selected to curate a pop-up space in New York with the help of Pinterest, and every corner was decorated to the nines with offerings from the retailer’s extensive home selection. Tinashe’s “room,” which also served as an intimate stage for a performance, matched her freak with cozy cushions, pillows, and glowing lamps to set the mood.

In between music festival appearances in Europe and the upcoming release of her seventh album Quantum Baby on Aug. 16, NYLON caught up exclusively with the internet’s favorite nasty girl to talk about fashion, her first Urban Outfitters memory, and her dream “Nasty” remix guest.

How are you feeling? How have the last few months been?

It's been fun. It’s been crazy. Anytime anything moves this fast, it's a lot to process, but it's all good things.

You've been doing the work for over 10 years, now the rest of the world is catching on.

It's a good feeling. All the right things are happening.

When did you feel like, “Oh, this one is different”?

Honestly, pretty immediately. I started seeing a response from my peers online.

Who was the person that reached out and surprised you the most?

Initially, it was Kehlani, Meghan Trainor, Bebe Rexha, and Anitta. They were on it very early on. I was like, ‘OK, this is very cool.’

You’ve already released some “Nasty” remixes. Is there an artist that you think would match your freak on another remix?

My freak is hard to match, but yeah, I have a couple more I'm planning on dropping. I’ve got some more in the tank...

Talk to me about the visuals for Quantum Baby thus far: both “Nasty” and “Getting No Sleep.”

It's all about getting deeper into the psyche or the universe. I think BB/Angel was very simple, in the sense that it was all about me, and now [Quantum Baby] is getting more into the little nuances and the little paradoxes. I think “Getting No Sleep” was a great way to accompany “Nasty,” and show the different breadth and depth of the album, and hopefully get people excited for Quantum Baby.

If you had to pick three words to describe Quantum Baby, what would you say?

I would say… innovative. Hot, super hot. And then the third would be… a journey. The project is a journey. It takes you a lot of places.

You’ve been working with [stylist] Maleeka Moss. What's been your favorite look that you've worn recently?

Favorite. I mean, that's hard. We've been really eating it up. I really liked the one I wore on MTV recently, which was the “Nasty” logo tank. I'd seen a picture of Britney Spears with a Pepsi logo tank, but it said something else. And I thought it’d be really funny to do one of “Nasty.”

I love the bra with the stars.

It's so cute. We got that custom made, so that was fun.

Did you shop at Urban Outfitters when you were a teen? What were your first memories of shopping at Urban?

Of course! Urban Outfitters is always the cool place when you're a preteen, you're like, ‘When is it my time to finally shop here?’ It always smelled good, it was always in the cool part of the mall. I thought it was really cool when I was younger, and I think it's nice to see how it has continued to remain a staple where people can find their niche. They can express it! There's home, there's stuff for boys, there's stuff for guys, there's stuff for girls. You can find your own style.

What does every “Nasty” girl have in their bag?

Some lip liner… and some lip gloss. That's about it.

Quantum Baby is coming out next month. You haven't announced any tour dates yet. What's up for the rest of 2024?

I definitely want to tour. I want to be able to bring it the way that I did with BB/Angel. I brought people an experience that felt a little more immersive. I want to continue to do that with this project and go all around the world. Touring is a big focus, but also using all the energy that I've built and created this summer to make more music, because we are always focused on what's next.