Why did Tinashe leave RCA? “Nasty” hitmaker says former label is “gagging” at her success

Tinashe, who is celebrating the success of her Billboard-charting solo, Nasty, says her former label, RCA Records, is "gagging" at its success. The Kentucky-born singer was recently questioned by a TMZ paparazzi if she felt RCA "dropped the ball" with her, asking:

"Do you feel like RCA kind of dropped the ball when you were on their label? Because they couldn't do it, you did it by yourself?"

To which the songstress shrugged and replied-

"You know? We just didn't need them. All you need is hard work, good fans, talent. I know they're gagging."

In February 2019, Tinashe's then-manager, Mike Nazzaro, announced she was parting ways with RCA Records (which features artists like Normani), citing creative differences after seven years of working together. He added that it was a "positive split" and that she was giving back her "creative control."

She released Nasty via her independent recording label, Tinashe Music Inc., and Ricky Reed's Nice Life Recording Company, the latter also being a writer and producer. It debuted at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her fifth chart entry and first solo entry. It currently has over 7.7 million streams on Spotify.

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Tinashe was forced by RCA to record a single with R. Kelly

A year after she departed from her previous record label, in an interview with W Magazine, she opened up about her move. She revealed it stemmed from the delay in the release of her album, Joyride (2018), which she intended to drop two years before its actual release.

Tinashe explained that RCA wanted her to focus on pop music even though she began her career as an independent artist making soulful R&Bs. Per a 2019 Fader report, she wanted to follow up on the project with Nashe and even released two singers for the same, but was canned for unknown reasons.

She later told the publication:

"It’s the classic story. The artist wants to put out one thing, and the record label doesn’t necessarily understand or believe in that vision."

In addition to leaving RCA behind, Tinashe also changed her entire management team, a decision she described as "hard but definitely worth it."

In 2023, during her interview with the Zach Lang Show, she confessed she was forced to record a single with disgraced rapper R. Kelly. When questioned whether her singles with Trapped in the Closet crooner were a result of a faulty strategy by her former label to launch her career, she remarked:

"You think I wanted (to do those songs)? I literally block out that R. Kelly song from my mind — I forget that it even exists. That is so embarrassing. That is so unreal that I even have a song with R. Kelly."

Following her departure from RCA Records, Tinashe released her fourth studio album, Songs for You, independently. It was met with positive reviews. She followed it up with 333 (2021) and BB/Ang3l (2023), both becoming critically acclaimed.

In April 2024, she took to her X to announce BB/Ang3l Pt. 2, titled Quantum Baby, which will be released soon. When the TMZ reporter questioned the singer about her future projects, she replied that there was "new music, remixes," full BB/Ang3l album, and a fall tour to look forward to.