She may be only 23 years old, but Tinashe boasts a long history in the entertainment industry and is wise beyond her her years. Having started out at the tender age of 3, the beautiful R&B star first dipped her toes in modelling and acting before going on to study various types of dance. She then found her footing and decided to pursue a career in music full-time – it was a decision that would propel her to fame and take her around the globe.
Over the weekend, Tinashe was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as part of this year’s star-studded H-Artistry line-up. Prior to the show, we were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with her.
Here’s what went down:
Hey Tinashe! Welcome to Malaysia. Is it too premature to ask you how’s your trip treating you so far?
No, so far it has been great! I still need to like, eat some Malaysian cuisine and see some more of the city. As far as the nightlife goes I only saw the mall. It’s fun so far, the people have been great, and I’ve met a lot of fans already. There was a fan waiting at the airport and I got recognised at the mall, that was really cool! To be this far away from home and to have that kind of response, it means a lot to me.
You actually started working in the entertainment at a very young age. How do you think that exposure has shaped you as a person?
I think it has made me ultra focused because it has been such a long time goal for me and it’s such a long term process to get to where I am now. I’ve been in entertainment for as long as I can remember and pretty much wanted the same things forever so yeah it’s almost like an obsession at this point. You know, like, it is my life.
And you just released your 2nd artiste album, “Joyride”, last month. Congratulations! What can you tell us about the process of making the album?
Thanks! I’m very excited about it. It’s really just like a snapshot of where I am in my life, going through a lot of new things and experiencing a lot of ups and downs. So..it’s really the concept behind “Joyride”.
You’ve also toured quite a bit for “Aquarius” as well as “Joyride”. And now Malaysia! Best parts about touring?
Yayyy. I think every time that you’re able to get in front of a new audience, people who have never seen you before, it’s always really really exciting. Especially because I have supporters and fans here, I’d love to be able to connect with them. That’s always really amazing. And then it’s also exciting to be able to make new fans and introduce my music to the people who aren’t familiar with my music.
You seem to always be in great shape for your music videos. What’s your diet and workout schedule like? Or are you one of those who don’t even need to work out?
(laughs) No, I think there’s something to be said for – genes. But I definitely am very active. You know, I do so much dancing. And I’ve done a lot of cardio, I’ve done pilates, but yeah..as far as my diet goes, my diet is very bad. My favourite food is french fries!
Having been in the limelight a lot growing up, what do you think were some of the greatest/wildest misconceptions about you?
I mean, I’ve heard some blatant lies, just like crazy rumours. Which is always weird. When people just make stuff up out of seemingly thin air, that’s just an extremely bizarre thing to happen to anyone. I think also probably that I’m not the creative force behind my music. When you’re a young woman, it’s easy for people to go, “Oh, you’re just a cute girl. You’re just a pretty face.” It’s easy for people to delegitimise you and so for me, it has been hard to..or it has been a process to gain that sort of level of respect amongst my peers. One of the other biggest misconceptions is that I’m one thing or another because I don’t identify with a particular genre of music or a particular one thing. I like to live in a gray area between worlds, I like to experiment with different things. I feel like that’s human nature – we have so many different sides to us. I like to have that as an artiste too..be multifaceted.
I think that’s nice because you’re not just catering to a niche crowd. You’re doing a lot of things, I mean, you’re young. Just do it all, right?
Yeah, yeah! Right! That’s much more fulfilling to me as an artiste, to be able to have..yeah, like, different moves. Sometimes I feel more like this, or sometimes I feel more like that. Sometimes it’s more vibe-y and like, laid back and chill. Sometimes I wanna be energised, I want everyone on their feet and dancing. So to be able to not do just one thing or another, I think, is important to me. Really important.
Tell us what Tinashe is like on a good day – no touring, no recording, no interviews, no dancing, no appearances.
I spend a lot of time with my family. I live at home still so I’m very family-oriented. I spend a lot of time with my brothers and my parents. I think that’s really important and it’s a huge part of my life so when I’m not working, I’m pretty much always with them. Or..I’m still working! (laughs) Even when I’m on an off day, I’m still thinking about it because I can’t turn it off. This encompasses my whole life so I’m always thinking about it.
Last one for the road! Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
Whoaaaaa! That’s a great question. I love that! I think 100 duck-sized horses because I’d just kick them. (laughs) I don’t know what I’d do with a giant horse-sized duck. I might freak out. That would be so weird! I like that question. That’s a good one.
Special thanks to our friends from Milk PR, Sony Music Malaysia, and H-Artistry for making this interview happen 🙂
Check out some fun facts about this year’s event here. For more information on H-Artistry 2016, visit www.h-artistry.com.my.
