Earlier this year, Tinashe entered a new decade, stepping into her 30s with grace. Between the music and her overall perspective on life, the songstress is excited to turn over a new leaf.

“This chapter of my life is bold,” she told Blavity in a recent interview when talking about her new album, BB/ANG3L. “Like bold in my decision-making, bold in my lack of being willing to compromise my boundaries. I’m not willing to make the same type of compromises that I would have in the past about my art, my personal life, about who I am as a person…about the things I want to do and don’t want to do. I feel very self-assured and very bold.”

The Kentucky native’s foray into the industry is not traditional. Tinashe’s musical journey began as an independent artist. Then, she signed with a label. She had a very visible battle and issues with being with the label and ended up going independent to much success. Now, on her own terms and creating the music she wants to, she’s becoming a model for other artists to follow.

“I hope to inspire more people to take that route because I think it gives you a lot of power,” the “2 On” crooner shared. “As women, we’re constantly fighting to maintain our power, especially when it comes to business and how we’re both seen and how we present ourselves. I think it’s really important to be able to be in charge of your own art and to be in charge of your own business. I think being independent, while it’s definitely not the easiest route to take, gives you a lot of ways to have more creative freedom and it’s empowering when you’re able to make it happen.”

Still, Tinashe has no regrets recalling the experiences gained while being signed to a major label.

“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned is that being 100% authentic is ultimately where I make my best art, when I feel the most myself, you know? It’s when I show up the best in the world, and so I think these are all kind of the same,” she said. “This has just been a big realization for me. Growing up, I had people-pleasing tendencies ⁠— I wanted to make everyone happy. I don’t like to cause controversy; I’m non-confrontational, so there’s a lot of parts of me that want to be a good partner, a good collaborator, someone who’s easy to work with. I think that leads to making little compromises and trying to make everyone happy. And sometimes you can’t do that, you have to, at the end of the day, know what you believe and what you think is the most important thing for you.”

Right now, what’s most important to Tinashe is making music that lets fans know the more intimate sides of who she is and peel back the layers of what she represents.

With BB/ANG3L, most, if not all, of the tracks are recorded to make listeners feel as if she’s whispering her deepest thoughts directly into their ears.

“I just wanted to strip back anything that didn’t feel totally real and to just get to the core and the essence,” she said. “In order to do that, you just have to zoom in. People have their perceptions, people have their opinions, on the outside looking in, of who you are, what you’re about, and what you look and sound like. It’s important to almost just draw people closer to allow them to see clearly. To allow them to see my skin, hear my voice, to feel my energy up close and very personal. Intimacy was a big theme for me.”

Tinashe is taking her talents on the road this fall to tour her latest project, which she admits is her favorite time of the year to hit the road. 

Beyond looking to connect even further with her fans, the “Talk to Me Nice” singer also wishes to continue to stretch herself artistically, maybe even returning to her acting roots after starring in films like Polar Express and the off-Broadway production of 13: The Musical early in her career.

“That’s a goal of mine, at some point,” she said about making her return to the screen. “I don’t see a time limit on that part of my endeavors creatively so that’s not only my checklist this year, but it’s something that I’m looking forward to when the right opportunity arises. As far as the type of role that I would like to play, I always love to challenge myself so something unexpected would be great. I don’t want to just play a singer or someone similar to myself. I’d like to play something that feels outside of my comfort zone. Maybe like an adventure mystery or something where I can get real cerebral or something, maybe there’s even a fight scene,” she added before chuckling.

Tinashe’s latest project, BB/ANG3L, is now available on all music streaming platforms.