Tinashe Drops Independent Album "Songs For You" (Stream)

Tinashe is finally doing things on her own terms! In 2011-12, she began releasing indie mixtapes, the last being 2013's Black Water, an effort that featured a then-unknown rapper Travis Scott, and which got her signed to RCA Records.

In 2014, she released her official major-label debut Aquarius headed by the top 10 smash single "2 On" and folowup releases "Feels Like Vegas" and "Cold Sweat." But along with major label push came restaints on her creativity and comparisons to the likes of Beyonce Ciara, and other dancing R&B divas.

Her highly anticipated follow-up sophomore album Joyride came after years of being pushed back by her label, and when it finally dropped, it came as a shock to fans as the record leaned more on the pop side of things. After her next project was shelved Nashe (a project based on her rebellious alter-ego), and some soul-searching, Tinashe let her longtime management team go and started fresh, this time on her own terms as an independent artist. Recording in her homeade studio, the setup was much like it was when she was growing up, creating for the love of creating, and before the major players had thier hands in the process.

The result is Songs For You, a year-long effort that allowed her to hunker down and create how she wanted to create, in her own time. Her hard work paid off, as the album climbed to the top of the iTunes Albums chart the night of its November 21 release. This goes to show that when you're free to be yourself, the world responds in the best ways possible.

Stream "Songs For You" and watch the video for "So Much Better" ft G-Eazy below: