R&B singer Tinashe has been everywhere since she dropped her debut album, Aquarius, in late 2014. She’s toured worldwide, opening for both Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj, been featured in Vogue and Playboy, and even managed to drop a mixtape, Amethyst, as a thank you to her fans for holding her down. She’s currently in the process of finishing up her sophomore effort, Joyride, but that hasn’t slowed her down one bit.
And that’s for good reason. Her fans can’t seem to get enough of her. On Wednesday night, they packed the Regent Theater for the 11th night of Red Bull’s 30 Days in LA series, to see her skillfully choreographed moves and hear her melodic voice.
Before she hit the stage, Red Bull Sound Select artist, Povi, a soulful songstress representing Colorado, opened with an energetic performance featuring a 6-piece band. Singer-Songwriter Gabriel Garzón-Montano, another Red Bull Sound Select artist, followed up Povi’s performance with a pared down set that featured him on the keys, a drummer and a visual display that helped to set the mood just right. Once Gabriel played the opening chords for “6 8,” the song Drake expertly sampled on “Jungle” from the If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late mixtape, the crowd was able to place where they knew that voice from and vibed with him even more.
Following their performances, there was a great deal of anticipation hanging in the air of this sold-out crowd. Clad in boxing shorts and a sports bra, Tinashe, came out swinging for her hometown crowd. From the moment she emerged onto the stage until the end of the set, she was filled with energy and expertly rocked the crowd. She opened up with “All Hands on Deck” and the crowd got really wild when she performed “Party Favors” and “2 On,” but there was no way she could just leave without giving her hometown of Los Angeles a little something special. This gift came packaged as a first-ever acoustic performance of her latest single “Player.”
Watching Tinashe perform, the influence that Janet Jackson has had on her is obvious, but she still manages to bring her own effortless flair to it. She never managed to miss a note or break a sweat while really dancing and giving her all. Tinashe wasn’t lying when she confidently proclaimed, “they don’t go hard as I do.” She’s put the work in and she’s determined to win.
Photos: Charde Kelly, Red Bull Content Pool