Tinashe found herself embroiled in some controversy this week after a clip of her talking down on her collaborations with R. Kelly and Chris Brown went viral. In the clip, the “2 On” singer revealed that she didn’t have particularly positive memories working with either of the two, stating that RCA Records, her former label, had pushed for these collaborations despite her reservations.
“You think I wanted to? [laughs] I literally… I block out that R. Kelly song from my mind. I forget that it even exists. That is so embarrassing,” she told Zach Sang. “That is so unreal that I even have a song with R. Kelly. That’s so embarrassing. Yes, that was label-y! […] And I was so young, too, which is crazy because I feel like I did that song when I just signed to that label. I was probably, like, 20. That was crazy.”
She also shared her lack of control in certain situations, particularly when it came to selecting singles for release.
“That song with Chris [Brown]: that was a song that I put a lot of… we all wanted it to be this big moment, this big single. So I feel like, in their mind, they were like, ‘You need the support.’ He was their biggest artist that they had on rhythmic radio at the time. To me, I was like, ‘Well, this is a pop song. So, I really don’t feel like we should put Chris on it.’ That doesn’t compute to me, but… I don’t know.”
Upon learning of the interview, Chris Brown challenged people to “name five Tinashe songs.” This led to further scrutiny and discussion in the media.
However, when approached by TMZ Hip Hop for her side of the story, Tinashe remained composed and explained that she believes Chris may not have seen the entire interview. The Lexington, Kentucky native expressed her willingness to have a conversation with her “Player” collaborator to clear the air, although she mentioned it isn’t currently high on her priority list.
Instead, she’s focused on her upcoming shows, where she’s excited to introduce new dance routines for her fans.
In the midst of the controversy, Tinashe released her latest project, “BB/ANG3L,” on Sept. 8. The seven-song LP features standout tracks like “Treason,” “Talk To Me Nice,” and “Needs.”
