Tinashe

Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress born on February 6, 1993, in Lexington, Kentucky. Raised in Pasadena, California, she began her career in entertainment as a child actor. Her early screen roles include a motion-capture performance in the animated film The Polar Express (2004), a main role in the Cartoon Network series Out of Jimmy's Head (2007–2008), and a recurring role on Two and a Half Men (2008–2009).

Tinashe is the eldest child of college professors Michael and Aimie Kachingwe. Her father is a first-generation Zimbabwean immigrant of Shona descent who teaches acting, and her mother is of Danish, Norwegian, and Irish descent who teaches physical therapy. Raised alongside two younger brothers, Tinashe briefly attended Crescenta Valley High School before leaving early to pursue music full-time. She also trained extensively in ballet, tap, and jazz dancing from age four, competing with a dance company until age eighteen.

In 2007, Tinashe joined the girl group the Stunners, founded by singer Vitamin C. The group released an EP, signed with Columbia Records and Universal Republic Records, and opened for Justin Bieber's My World Tour before disbanding in 2011. Following the group's split, Tinashe taught herself music production, engineering, and video editing. She independently recorded and released her debut solo mixtapes, In Case We Die (2012) and Reverie (2012), before signing a record deal with RCA Records.

After releasing her third mixtape, Black Water (2013), Tinashe achieved mainstream commercial success with her 2014 lead single "2 On" featuring Schoolboy Q, which peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Aquarius (2014), debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and was supported by additional singles including "Pretend" and "All Hands on Deck".

Over the following years, Tinashe released the mixtape Amethyst (2015) and joined concert tours with Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry. She released her digital album and short film Nightride in November 2016, followed by her third studio album, Joyride, in April 2018. Joyride peaked at number 58 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the singles "No Drama" and "Faded Love".

In 2018, Tinashe competed on season 27 of Dancing with the Stars. The following year, she starred as Mimi Marquez in Fox's live television special Rent: Live. After parting ways with RCA Records in February 2019 to regain creative control, she signed with Roc Nation and self-released her fourth studio album, Songs for You, in November 2019.

Tinashe continued her independent career with the albums 333 (2021), BB/Ang3l (2023), and Quantum Baby (2024). The single "Nasty" became a viral hit and marked her first solo entry on the Hot 100, while a remix of "No Broke Boys" achieved international dance chart success. Her eighth album, Popstar, was set for release in September 2026, preceded by the singles "Too Easy", "Crash Out", and "Melatonin".