Iggy Azalea and Tinashe — two artists bouncing back after drawn-out bouts of label drama — linked up this week to release the new single “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching.” Over a funky, uptempo bassline, the two freshly independent artists share an empowering message of carefree self-reliance. The song’s message hits even harder in light of both Iggy and Tinashe’s struggles through the past few years and independent success once they secured their artistic freedom.
Iggy, who was initially signed to T.I.’s label Grand Hustle, saw her debut album released through Def Jam, debuting at No. in 2014 after her fourth single, “Fancy” with Charli XCX, saw massive success and peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100. However, despite the album’s success, Azalea’s follow-up album, Digital Distortion, was pushed back several times while her contract was shuffled from one subsidiary of UMG to another. Eventually, she was able to secure a release from her deal (or was dropped), establishing her own record label and signing a distribution deal with Empire to release the defiant comeback album, In My Defense. “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” will serve as the lead single for her upcoming third studio album End Of An Era.
Meanwhile, Tinashe released her own independent album, Songs For You, in November 2019 after being released from her 2013 RCA Records contract. Although her own debut album Aquarius was one of the most solid debuts for a new female artist in years, the label was unable to define her sound, pushing for more pop-oriented records while Tinashe herself wanted to pursue the original, moody R&B sounds that garnered her fans in the first place. While the partnership produced two more albums, Nightride and Joyride, her fans celebrated her release from the label as the return of her creative control was obvious in the reception to Songs For You.
Watch the lyric video for Iggy Azalea and Tinashe’s “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” above.