NEW YORK (AP) — Tinashe refuses to back down from the unknowns in life — or the music industry — but as an alternative embraces them. That’s what makes the success of her sassy, ​​innuendo-laden hit “Nasty” taste so sweet.

“You never really know when it’s going to happen. You can’t predict it,” she said of the song, which reached No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100, her second-highest charting song, and No. 2 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50. “It was a blessing and something I’m just really excited about.”

Early on within the lead-up to her upcoming album “Quantum Baby,” out Friday, “Nasty” skyrocketed after a social media user linked a snippet of the song to an existing video that had already gone viral. The song also earned praise or some type of shout-out from icons like Beyoncé and Janet Jackson, in addition to Christina Aguilera, Anitta and more. Its standout lyric, “match my freak,” became a popular catchphrase.

The project marks her seventh studio album and the second in a three-part trilogy. The title references quantum physics, because the artist hopes fans will enter her personal universe and rediscover her at essentially the most basic, molecular level.

“I’ve been really fortunate that since leaving my major label, I’ve been independent, I’ve been able to focus on what I want to do creatively. And I’ve really honed that process over the last three albums,” says the singer, whose previous album, “BB/ANG3L,” dropped last 12 months. “This second part of the trilogy is really about getting to know me a little bit deeper.”

The project consists of eight tracks, clocking in at just over 22 minutes. Produced by Nosaj Thing, Ricky Reed and sdtroy, with Tinashe writing each track.

Known for breaking genres, often mixing elements of R&B, pop, dance, and electronica into precisely choreographed performances, Tinashe debuted in 2014 along with her highest-charting album to this point, Aquarius. Although she didn’t achieve the identical level of success and infrequently found herself in musical limbo, she decided to go away her major label RCA’s support because of their tumultuous relationship. However, she has kept her profession afloat, thanks partially to her loyal fan base.

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“When I first stepped on stage, I was young, I was green. I feel like I’ve learned so much and gained so much, especially confidence,” Tinashe explained. “Being a young woman in these typically male-dominated spaces, there’s usually no other women in the room. And you come in with a producer who’s made all these amazing records and you don’t want to tell him what to do — and he probably won’t listen to you anyway. So I think now I just have a much stronger sense of what I want to do and I’m able to give it direction.”

Recorded in her home studio, “Quantum Baby” features tracks just like the sultry, trap-soul track “Thirsty” and the atmospheric, Kaytranada-like “Getting No Sleep,” which is her second and current single. Often featuring moody and atmospheric sounds, there’s also the introductory track “No Simulation,” on which she harmonizes, “We’re all looking for something/where are we going/what are we doing?”

“At this point in my life, what I’m looking for the most is great experiences and peace of mind,” she said. “I’m at a point where I’m not trying to force or create anything anymore.”

Despite working with platinum-selling artists like Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Future and Nick Jonas, he now not pursues major roles or a producing position in hopes of improving his probabilities of making it onto the charts.

“’2 On’ was my first single that I ever put out. So I set the bar really high… and I always had that feeling of, ‘Can we do this?’ And that was always at the forefront of my mind when I was making records,” she reflects on her track featuring Schoolboy Q, which peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, her highest-charting song. “I think I’ve made better records since I stopped thinking about how they’re going to look… I just focus on my instincts and making something that I enjoy.”

What’s best for Tinashe immediately? It’s freedom from creative lockdown and fighting industrial politics for her profession. Her fashion-forward style and avant-garde eye have earned her a front-row seat at fashion shows and red-carpet events, and he or she’s expressed interest in returning to acting. In October, she’ll kick off a 23-date Match My Freak tour, produced by Live Nation, to support her music.

The “All Hands on Deck” artist has managed to regular the ship of her profession and is ready to live with the results of navigating the stormy seas of the music industry — so long as she’s the captain.

“Finding contentment with yourself and your art is super important as a music artist in terms of feeling good about what you’re doing because the music industry is so unstable… I started to feel this freedom and contentment when I didn’t have any expectations for myself,” she said. “That’s where real success is now, just creating things that I love and focusing on creating great art that’s timeless.”