蒂娜雪

Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( tee-NAH-shay; born February 6, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, she moved to Pasadena, California to begin her career as a child actor, before later expanding into music. From 2007 to 2011, Tinashe was a member of the girl group the Stunners. After the group disbanded, she released her first solo mixtapes: In Case We Die (2012), Reverie (2012), and Black Water (2013).

After signing with RCA Records, Tinashe released her debut studio album, Aquarius (2014), which marked her first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 with its lead single "2 On" (featuring Schoolboy Q). Her subsequent albums, Nightride (2016) and Joyride (2018), peaked at number 89 and number 58, respectively, on the Billboard 200. Following her departure from RCA, Tinashe released Songs for You (2019), 333 (2021), and BB/Ang3l (2023) as an independent artist. Her seventh studio album, Quantum Baby (2024), achieved moderate commercial success with the singles "Nasty" and "No Broke Boys". Her eighth studio album, Popstar, became her first to reach the top ten in the United States.

Early life

Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe was born on February 6, 1993, in Lexington, Kentucky, and is the eldest child of college professors Michael and Aimie Kachingwe. Her father is a professor who teaches acting at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a first-generation Zimbabwean immigrant of Shona descent, while her mother, who is of Danish, Norwegian, and Irish descent, teaches physical therapy at California State University, Northridge. They met each other on a blind date during their time as undergrads at the University of Iowa. Tinashe, whose name means "We have God," (or "God is with us") in the Shona language, has two younger brothers, Thulani and Kudzai.

As a child, Tinashe lived in DeKalb, Illinois, and moved to Los Angeles, California with her family. She attended Crescenta Valley High School for a year before finishing early to pursue a career in music full-time. During high school, she faced bullying from her peers. She began studying ballet, tap, and jazz dancing at the age of 4, continuing to compete in various styles as a part of a dance company until she was 18.

Career

2000–2011: The Stunners and acting roles

Tinashe scored roles in a number of TV shows, movies, and children's videos in the 2000s, starting with the film Cora Unashamed in October 2000. She followed this with Call Me Claus (2001), Masked and Anonymous (2003), and two TV series: Rocket Power (2004) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2007). She also made a regular role in the Cartoon Network TV series Out of Jimmy's Head in 2007–2008 and a recurring role on Two and a Half Men in 2008–2009. Although she was uncredited in the poorly received Masked and Anonymous, American film critic Roger Ebert praised her performance at the film's 2003 Sundance Film Festival premiere, describing her rendition of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" as being delivered with "sweetness and conviction".