Industry Weekly

[Soundscape]

Tinashe brings diverse new sounds to Intrigue

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I like to live in the gray area between genres,” Tinashe says of her new music.
Photo: Dennis Leupold

With brand-new single “Superlove” ready to smash the charts and highly anticipated sophomore R&B album Joyride due any day now, Kentucky-born and LA-raised singer Tinashe returns to Las Vegas this week to perform at Intrigue.

“I’m excited about this one, because I’ll be doing a bigger set this time and I’m bringing my dancers and we’re gonna have a lot of fun,” she says. “We’re gonna turn up.”

You just dropped “Superlove,” a really sexy, uptempo track, but very different from your other new music. As an artist and a person I don’t like to be in one box; I like having the ability to do whatever I’m feeling at the time. With this one, I wanted to do something fun and positive and high-energy, something to dance to. I like being diverse in my music, and the album is very diverse, from this to “Party Favors,” which is a little darker and more hip-hop. I like to live in the gray area between genres.

When you’re writing, how much do you think about songs you can dance to? I’m definitely always thinking a lot about what I’m gonna do in the live show, because it’s such an important part of who I am as an artist and what I bring to the table.

What is the status of the album right now? I’ve put a lot of energy into Joyride, and I’m excited for it to finally come out. From my perspective, I’ve finished recording all the songs; it’s just about getting it out there and having everyone see it.

It must be difficult for you to wait for everything to line up so Joyride can come out. Absolutely. As a creative person, it’s always hard when people don’t understand the business side of things, and I’m the creative voice so I take all responsibility. At the end of the day, the music speaks for itself, and I’m really happy my fans have been patient and understanding and I can’t wait for them to hear these songs.

Have you been teasing a lot of Joyride tracks during live shows? Yes. It’s so hard, because it’s like wanting to give someone a gift but also wanting them to be surprised. When I did the first part of the Joyride tour, I definitely teased a handful of new songs, and it was really cool to give fans a chance to get excited about something more than the little segments caught on YouTube.

You’ve become one of those artists people watch closely on red carpets. How does your personal style and cultivating that side of your persona play into your music? It’s a learning process, and the longer I’ve been in the business the more you get a sense about who you are and how that comes across. Fashion for me has really always been fun, another way to express myself, and the visual aspect of what I do is so important. I’ve always enjoyed playing with clothes and fashion so if people are taking notice, that’s a good feeling. And I think about it as another way to show that diversity. Playing with different styles and looks and feelings in live shows is similar to different styles of songs on the album. The underlying theme is really just to be me.

It sounds like another opportunity to distinguish yourself from other artists, too. You’ve been compared to Janet Jackson a lot, for example. Yeah, and that’s definitely a compliment. But she never really fit into one particular box, either. Tinashe at Intrigue at Wynn, August 6.

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Brock Radke

Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of managing editor at Las Vegas Weekly ...

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