Tinashe: “It’s okay not to be 100% perfect”

Tinashe. Image by Janine Villagracia/INQUIRER.net.

MANILA, Philippines—She may be young, but at 22, R&B artist Tinashe definitely knows her groove.

When Tinashe visited Manila back in March, this writer had the opportunity to be in a roundtable interview with the “All Hands on Deck” singer along with a few more media people. And when Tinashe sat down with us, she was sweet and candid in tee and jeans.

Youthful

Contrary to the fierce and sexy silhouettes she portrays in her music videos, the California-based singer-songwriter was youthful when she talked about how she enjoyed playing basketball while growing up and how through the years, she has learned to weigh which online comments about her are constructive and which are plain “mean.”

Asked how she handles criticisms, Tinashe said she tries to avoid “irrelevant criticisms” at all costs while consistently providing content for her fanbase through social media.

Definite

Tinashe entertaining questions from the media. Image by: Janine Villagracia/INQUIRER.net.

But despite literally sounding young while conversing with us, Tinashe who started acting and modelling at age 3, joined a girl group when she was 14, and went solo when she was 18, definitely knows who she is as an artist.

Having released one full-length studio album and four mixtapes, Tinashe believes that her artistry showcases “a side of realism” rather than anchoring it on “perfection.” She prefers helping people realize that “It’s okay not to be 100% perfect,” because “…the best thing is to just be who you are and to be a good person and to relate to people on that level.”

Determined

And though she is about a lot of things, Tinashe regards music as her real passion. She said she was about five or six years old when she composed her first song “Deep in the Night.”

Asked to describe her music in one word, the 22-year-old had a hard time thinking of just one as she has always accommodated influences from the pop, alternative, and hip hop genres. She said she’d prefer to have her music as “hard to define,” because it gives her room to grow.

And when asked what she learned from the collaborations she’s done, Tinashe was bold to answer that it was through working with other artists that she acquired a clearer perspective of what she wants as an artist, and that she learned how to stay true to who she is.

Records of first-time Manila visitor Tinashe is under Ivory Music & Video in the Philippines.