Tinashe Talks Popstar and Creative Freedom in Stereogum Cover Story

Tinashe stars in Stereogum's September 2026 cover story ahead of the release of her new album Popstar

Tinashe is entering a new era with confidence, creativity and plenty of attitude. The singer, songwriter, dancer and actress stars in Stereogum's September 2026 cover story, where she opens up about her upcoming album Popstar, her relationship with fame, creativity, fashion and the pressure of being a modern pop star.

Photographed by Sydney Jackson and styled by Anna Trevelyan, Tinashe brings a bold and expressive fashion energy to the shoot. The cover story, titled "Tinashe Is Her Own Kind Of Popstar," was published on September 21, 2026, and offers an intimate look at the artist as she prepares to release her eighth album.

Tinashe Brings Bold Fashion to Stereogum

The Stereogum shoot captures Tinashe in a series of striking looks that combine edgy street style, glamour and playful fashion details. Each outfit feels different, but they all reflect the singer's willingness to experiment with her image.

One of the standout looks features a vivid hot-pink fitted top layered with a plaid detail and paired with camouflage bottoms. Tinashe accessorizes the outfit with layered necklaces, rings and bracelets, while oversized black sunglasses give the look a cool, confident finish.

Another dramatic look sees the singer wearing a black utility-inspired vest covered in straps and buckle details. She pairs it with short black bottoms and eye-catching zebra-print knee-high boots with heels, creating one of the most fashion-forward looks from the shoot.

Tinashe also poses in a structured charcoal-gray outfit featuring cutout details and leather-like trim. Silver jewelry and hoop earrings add a touch of shine, while her long dark hair and bangs frame her face.

Her beauty styling keeps the focus on her features, with polished makeup and a statement lip appearing in the close-up portraits. Oversized sunglasses, layered jewelry and her long dark hair add to the editorial feel of the photographs.

The exact brands of some of the shoes and jewelry featured in the supplied images have not been reliably identified. Stereogum officially credits Anna Trevelyan for styling, Brittany Whitfield for makeup and Karen Miller for hair.

Tinashe Talks About Popstar

The fashion is only part of the story. In the Stereogum interview, Tinashe talks at length about her upcoming album Popstar and the creative thinking behind the project.

Popstar is Tinashe's eighth album and technically completes the trilogy that began with 2023's BB/Ang3l and continued with 2024's Quantum Baby. However, the project developed into something larger as she continued writing and recording.

The album draws from a mixture of R&B, trap, jazz and new age influences. It also incorporates electronic sounds, samples and atmospheric interludes. Songs discussed around the project include "Sunglasses," "Melatonin," "Empty Stadiums," "Too Easy" and "I'd Rather Be Alone."

Produced by Arca, "Sunglasses" combines sparse electronics with a shuffling rhythm and Tinashe's hazy vocals. Meanwhile, "Melatonin" brings a more energetic sound, while "Empty Stadiums" takes the album into a more reflective and emotional space.

For Tinashe, the word "Popstar" represents more than a job title. She describes it as an energy and a persona that someone can embody.

The album explores both sides of that persona. There is the glamorous side of being a successful performer, but there is also the constant surveillance, public judgment and pressure that comes with celebrity.

Tinashe explains that these two realities can exist at the same time, and that contrast became an important part of the album's identity.

Tinashe Pushes Back Against the "TikTokification" of Music

One of the most revealing parts of the interview is Tinashe's discussion of the current short-form music landscape.

She says she is pushing back against what she describes as the "TikTokification" of creative projects, where albums and songs can become reduced to small snippets, sound bites and viral moments.

For Tinashe, an album works best when it is experienced as a complete body of work. She wants listeners to explore the entire project rather than consuming individual moments without the surrounding context.

That philosophy is particularly important for Popstar. Tinashe describes the album almost like a film, with the songs creating a journey that moves from confidence and glamour toward something more introspective.

The final track, "Heavy Weight," strips the sound back to guitar and vocals, giving the album a quieter and more nuanced ending.

Tinashe on Authenticity, Sexuality and Performance

Tinashe also challenges the idea that every song an artist releases needs to be completely autobiographical.

She explains that authenticity itself can be performative, while something that appears inauthentic can sometimes be a genuine form of artistic expression.

That idea connects to her approach to sexuality and performance. Discussing her 2024 hit "Nasty," Tinashe explains that music and performance give her a way to express her sensuality.

She also points out that her artistic persona does not necessarily represent her private life. Rather than treating every performance as a literal reflection of who she is away from the stage, she views it as part of the creative process.

Janet Jackson and Britney Spears Remain Pop Inspirations

When discussing the pop stars she admires, Tinashe repeatedly comes back to Janet Jackson and Britney Spears.

She admires the way both artists created distinctive identities and refused to remain confined to a single version of themselves.

The influence is fitting for an artist who has spent much of her career moving between R&B, pop, electronic music, dance and experimental sounds without allowing herself to be easily placed into one category.

A More Confident Tinashe

Looking back at her 2014 debut album Aquarius, Tinashe reflects on how much she has changed since she was a younger artist.

She says she has grown considerably as a person and as a woman artist. While she can still hear elements of her younger self in her older music, she now approaches her work with a greater sense of confidence.

One of the biggest changes is how comfortable she has become in the recording studio. Earlier in her career, she was more willing to let collaborators take the lead. Today, she feels much more confident standing behind her own ideas.

That confidence has also made her more willing to experiment. Tinashe says she is now comfortable telling collaborators, "Let's get weirder."

Tinashe Is Firmly Against AI in Her Art

The singer is also clear about her position on artificial intelligence and creativity.

Tinashe says she is definitively anti-AI when it comes to her own art because she believes the process of creating is part of what gives art its emotional value.

For her, making art is about exploration, experimentation and discovering something for yourself. She says she has never heard an AI-generated song that moved her in the same way human-created music can.

Inside the Making of Popstar

The album took shape during an intense creative period over two weeks last Christmas at a sun-filled studio in Los Angeles.

Between recording sessions, Tinashe also painted, setting up easels at the studio as another creative outlet.

She worked with a close group of collaborators, including Ricky Reed, Zack Sekoff and Travis Stewart, also known as Machinedrum.

Machinedrum explains that Tinashe challenged him creatively during the making of the album. Rather than relying on the styles she had previously enjoyed, he explored some of the stranger and less frequently played material in his library — and those unexpected sounds ended up connecting with her.

The result is an album that continues Tinashe's habit of moving in unexpected directions while maintaining a strong sense of identity.

The Stereogum Interview Takes Place in Brooklyn

The Stereogum story begins at the airy Bishop Gallery in Brooklyn, where Tinashe looks around an exhibition featuring early work by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

She arrives wearing a Denim Tears shirt featuring New York art-world figures Lee Radziwill and André Leon Talley, immediately setting up the article's connection between music, fashion and visual art.

During the conversation, Tinashe also talks about the people who help keep her grounded outside the entertainment industry. She remains close to her parents, brothers and her longtime best friend, whom she has known since she was eight years old.

That close personal circle provides a sense of stability while she navigates the unpredictable nature of the music business.

Tinashe Steps Behind the DJ Booth

A few days after the museum visit, Tinashe appeared at a DJ event in a cavernous carriage house on New York's Lower East Side.

She arrived behind the booth wearing sunglasses, headphones and a baseball hat, creating another effortlessly cool fashion moment.

As "Crash Out" began playing through the sound system, Tinashe looked out toward the crowd and smiled.

The moment perfectly captured the idea at the heart of the Stereogum story: Tinashe is embracing the idea of being a pop star while still questioning what that identity actually means.

Who Is Tinashe?

Tinashe is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress known for her genre-blending music and highly visual performances.

She first gained major attention with her 2014 debut album Aquarius and has continued to evolve through projects including 333, BB/Ang3l and Quantum Baby.

She is also known for songs including "2 On," "All Hands on Deck" and "Nasty." Alongside her music career, Tinashe has built a reputation as a dancer, performer and creative force who remains closely involved in the visual world surrounding her work.

With Popstar, she is entering another chapter — one that appears more confident, experimental and determined to avoid easy expectations.

For Tinashe, being a pop star isn't about fitting neatly into a predetermined image. It is about embracing the freedom to experiment, change direction and surprise people along the way.

Photography: Sydney Jackson
Styling: Anna Trevelyan
Makeup: Brittany Whitfield
Hair: Karen Miller
Writer: Arielle Gordon
Editor-in-Chief: Scott Lapatine