Singer Tinashe Imagines Her British Adolescence

​

This post originally appeared in VICE UK

PHOTOGRAPHY: ​ALEX DE MORA ​ART DIRECTION AND STYLING: KYLIE GRIFFITHS

Photographer's assistant: Theo Cottle
​Stylist's assistant: Thomas Ramshaw and Mali Hood
​Set and props: Marisha Greene
​Hair: Sami Knight using Tigi Bedhead
​Makeup: Crystabel Riley at Stella Creative Artists using MAC cosmetics
​Nails: Cherrie Snow from WAH
​Words: Grace Medford

Historically, female R&B artists do not necessarily come to the fore fully formed. For every Rihanna, there's a Shontelle, an Alexis Jordan or a Kristinia DeBarge. A lack of creative control, an uncertainty about direction or poor management and label decisions often results in a ropey first album with barely a hit to propel them into the second, if they even make it that far.

Tinashe's foundation is more solid, forward-thinking and assured—it's evident that she's both the face and brains of her operation. In fact, with Tinashe, we're probably looking at the most multi-faceted star to launch into the mainstream arena this year. She started as a child model, a member of a girl band and had a recurring role in the TV show Two and a Half Men. Her music career began with three mixtapes, which she wrote, performed, produced and engineered. This year, she steamrollered into the Billboard Top 40 with her bumping debut single "2 On" and earned a Top 20 album with her first studio release, Aquarius—a slick, innovative R&B record. She also found time to donate a track, "The Leap," to the newly released soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, curated by Lorde. It's worth pointing out that Tinashe only turned 21 this year.

She'd just finished having her nails decked out in a Union Jack flag pattern when Noisey speak to her about teenage rebellion, first drunken experiences and being a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Keep on scrolling for the rest of the shoot, and ​go here to read the full interview.