Tinashe on acquiring “Nasty”

Will anyone match my freak?

It’s the question that’s been on everyone’s mind since R&B singer Tinashe asked it in her song “Nasty,” which has gone viral since its release in April.

While we’re all trying to find someone who actually matches our nastiness, it’s not just Tinashe’s lyric-identification ability that has found “Nasty” such a wide audience. The song went viral in part thanks to a guy named Nate. This unassuming Brit first gained attention online in February 2023 after posting a video of himself dancing nimbly to soca musicrolling her hips and biting her finger.

That video became the basis for a meme that helped Tinashe’s music reach millions of new listeners in April after a user called @gruessome posted Nate’s video on the platform, with “Nasty” playing as the soundtrack.

So far, this video has gotten over 10 million views, 37,000 likes, and over 9,000 reposts. The song’s popularity continues to grow, currently sitting at an impressive #5 on TikTok’s Viral Top 50 songs chart and #10 on Spotify’s Viral 50 in the US.

Thousands of people used the song on TikTok to imitate Nate’s dance moves, including the singer Omar Apoloinfluencers Quen Blackwell and Larryand even Tinashe herself.

The meme turned from a dance trend to an online prompt when user @hugetulip, uploaded a post asking, “Who are two people who really match each other’s freaks?” Some of the answers include Art and Pat’s Challengers, Linda and Bob Belcher from Bob’s BurgersIt is Rihanna and A$AP Rocky.

Below, Tinashe talks about the viral moment and shares which duo she thinks really suits each other’s freaks.

TIME: Congratulations on the success of “Nasty.” It’s one of those songs that took off organically and just exploded, in part because of how great the song is, and also Nate’s video. What was your reaction when you saw the video?

Tinashe: I came across this like anyone else – I saw it on Twitter. All it takes is one person to make a specific edit and it simply adds up. There were so many cute edits on Twitter and so many meme-able moments. You can never predict or force any of this to happen. The internet simply does its job and you need to be ready for when that moment happens.

Will you and Nate be collaborating in any way in the near future?

I would love to collaborate with Nate! He lives in the UK, I’m going there in July to do some shows. Maybe we can collaborate then, that would be sick.

You should bring it on stage when you play “Nasty.” He’s a great dancer!

Yes, he fucked me in that video!

This moment feels like a turning point in the sense that you’re becoming more visible, despite having been making music for years. How does it feel that people are finding your music now in this viral moment?

It’s so exciting. This is what you expect and expect. I’ve been working in the music industry for 10 years at this point. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve accepted my path and I really don’t need any more validation. I’m so grateful for my fan base because they’ve been there since the beginning. But at the same time, who doesn’t want more people to see my hard work and hear all the music we’ve been making? It’s exciting to see how this is affecting the numbers for all my other songs too.

How do you plan to capitalize on the song’s success?

Just riding the wave now. Having that push on social media is really important for an artist like me, because I’m not on a major label and I don’t have the same level of exposure to playlists, radio, those other things. I’ve really had the attitude over the last few years that all it takes is one viral moment to keep the conversation going. Because I’m ready to take this to the next level. I’m ready for introductions. I’m ready for more videos, remixes and tours. You have to be ready so you never have to prepare.

Speaking of remixes, who are you going to feature on the official remix?

We are juggling some names. It’s been really interesting to see the discourse online. We tried a few different artists, getting verses from different perspectives, and also old-fashioned DJ remixes. So we haven’t decided 100% on the answer yet. This is cool because we were super excited to release the remix right away, but now it feels like “Nasty” is already doing her own thing. The remixes are coming, but we can take our time in this regard and let the music speak for itself.

Remixes, plural? Will there be more than one?

Yes!

What does this success mean to you as an independent artist?

It’s amazing, it really validates all my hard work. Also taking the risk of becoming independent was a little scary. I think staying true to myself and being able to make music that I love and release it the way I want has just pushed me to be a different, much more confident human being. I am much more sure of myself and my path.

Ricky Reed is the producer of this song. He’s worked on big hits like Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty” and Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts.” Was there a feeling while working with him, because he had so many hits, that this one might break out?

Honestly, no. I’ve learned not to have those kinds of expectations in a room because it sets you up for failure. I used to do that back in the day and say, “Oh my God, that’s the one,” and I feel like that always makes a song worse. You put too much pressure on yourself and you lose that pure creative energy.

We have to ask: who are the two people you think match each other’s freaks?

Bella and Edward Twilight. They were on some weird shit, but they were on the same page.