When Tinashe's pants ripped as she stretched out for a February show in Brooklyn (in front of a small audience with invitation), there was no time to fix the split seam. She went on to make a high-octane, set for an hour on a small crowd of fans, dancing and singing to winding pop-R&B tunes like the single “No Drama”, taken from her new album, Joyride. At 25, Tinashe is a professional in dealing with unexpected events. Tinashe has been in the trenches as a working artist for a decade. She bases on Joyride (out on April 13) to clarify her position as a full package of urban pop artist in the form of Janet Jackson. She writes. She sings. She dances. She transcends the genre. But despite her insider information and hard work, the spotlight has remained frustratingly elusive so far.

Tinashe Kachinge

Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe was born to a Midwestern mother and a father from Zimbabwe. She started on the California audition circuit when she was just 6. By 15 years she went to high school and joined a girl group called 'the Stunners'. Tinashe never intended to be part of a group, but the Stunners made it to a prime gig as tour openers for Justin Bieber, who was a rising star at the time. Benefits included the time spent learning how the recording studio works. Soon she signed a solo deal with RCA.

Tinashe 2 On

In 2014, her song “2 On” followed with Schoolboy Q, taken from her debut album, earned platinum status, and had some suggest that she could be the next Aaliyah. But Tinashe didn't follow it with more mainstream singles. Instead, she released two mixtapes of self-produced, futuristic R&B. Her label couldn't figure out how to classify her music, and even her fans wanted her to be someone she wasn't. In a market full of young female artists, the ultimate challenge is how to evolve as a voice without losing your fans.

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