For the latest chronicling of conversations between creatives that Interview Magazine is known for, Kaytranada has interviewed Tinashe in celebration of her viral TikTok hit "Nasty" and the recent release of her new album Quantum Baby. The conversation between the two, who collaborated on the Montreal-born producer's Timeless track "More Than a Little Bit," covered everything from tour rider essentials (decidedly not chocolate-covered ants and a map of Ireland) to the current state of pop music — including why industry plants are only "sort of" real.
When Kaytra posed the question about the term misogynists often thrown at young women quickly rising to a level of prominence previously unprecedented in their careers, Tinashe reflected on her own start in the industry, having released her debut single "2 On" on RCA Records when she was only 20 years old. (Now, the artist is putting out music independently, which she says has really empowered her not to compromise on her artistic vision in ways she would have in the past.)
"Sort of," Tinashe answered thoughtfully. "I definitely think that most everyone who's gotten to any level of success has put in a lot of work behind the scenes that people don't know about. So I think a pure plant is probably not likely, but I definitely think that major labels and the machine behind them are extremely powerful when they work in your favour and you have momentum."
"They can really kick shit into gear," the singer-songwriter continued, "so do I think that some people are gassed the fuck up by the machine? Absolutely. But I wouldn't say it's a full plant narrative."
Kaytranada also asked Tinashe if we were really going through a "pop-girl moment" or whether that was just a media narrative, to which she replied, "I think so, like a mini moment. I hope it continues."
She explained, "It's been a while since we've had anything that feels like that 'main pop girl' energy. Pop just hasn't been inspiring, at least to me, so I think it's really cool to see how many people are thriving in that space now. We love to see it."
Tinashe is certainly getting her freak matched by the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, all of whom are known to appreciate wrapping some candid eroticism into an undeniable hook.