Before their 2026 Austin City Limits appearance, Charli XCX and Tinashe had shared credits on two released recordings: first as featured artists on Ty Dolla $ign’s 2015 single “Drop That Kitty,” then on a Tinashe-assisted reworking of Charli’s “B2b” in 2024. They had also performed “Drop That Kitty” together at the 2015 MTV Movie Awards, making ACL the latest chapter of an 11-year recording and performance history rather than their first shared stage.
Their First Shared Credit Was “Drop That Kitty”
Charli XCX and Tinashe first appeared on the same released recording through Ty Dolla $ign. Apple Music dates “Drop That Kitty,” which credits both singers as featured artists, to February 17, 2015. Time published its coverage of the single that day and likewise identified Charli and Tinashe as guests on Ty Dolla $ign’s track.
That distinction matters. “Drop That Kitty” was not a Charli XCX and Tinashe duet, nor was it a recording led by either singer. It was a Ty Dolla $ign single that brought both artists onto the same track.
The song also produced their first confirmed joint live appearance. On April 12, 2015, Charli performed at the MTV Movie Awards before Ty Dolla $ign and Tinashe joined her for “Drop That Kitty.” Paramount’s official post-show release and contemporaneous coverage from Pitchfork both document the performance.
Their earliest collaboration therefore had two components: a shared recording credit and a televised performance. That history is important when describing later appearances, because the two artists had already occupied the same stage more than a decade before ACL.
Tinashe Joined Charli XCX’s “B2b” in 2024
Their next shared recording arrived nine years later. Tinashe appeared on a reworked version of “B2b” released on Charli XCX’s 2024 remix project, Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat. Apple Music’s album listing and Atlantic Records-supplied metadata published through Charli’s official YouTube channel both credit Tinashe on the track.
This was a more direct Charli XCX and Tinashe collaboration than “Drop That Kitty.” Instead of appearing as two guests on another artist’s single, Tinashe entered a song from Charli’s own catalog and received featured-vocal and songwriting credits.
That change makes “B2b” the clearest studio precedent for their ACL reunion. The collaboration placed Tinashe inside the expanded world of Brat, where Charli revisited the original album’s songs through new performances, production and guest appearances.
It would be misleading, however, to describe the two artists as continuous collaborators. Their two confirmed shared recordings were separated by nearly a decade. Their history consists of a small number of distinct appearances rather than an extended run of joint releases.
Why the ACL Performance Was a Reunion
Tinashe joined Charli XCX during Charli’s October 9, 2026, headlining set at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Billboard, Rolling Stone and Stereogum reported the appearance and identified Tinashe’s two selections as “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” and “Melatonin.”
Both songs came from Tinashe’s album Popstar, according to track listings published by Apple Music, Spotify and Tinashe’s official store. Rather than revisiting “Drop That Kitty” or “B2b,” the guest appearance used part of Charli’s set to showcase Tinashe’s current music.
Rolling Stone and Stereogum described the performance of “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” as the song’s live debut. Their reports did not make the same explicit claim about “Melatonin,” so the two performances should not be presented as identical milestones without additional confirmation.
The appearance nevertheless represented another step in Charli and Tinashe’s shared history. In 2015, they recorded and performed a Ty Dolla $ign single. In 2024, Tinashe joined a reworking of a Charli song. In 2026, Tinashe returned during Charli’s festival set to present material from her own album.
That sequence is why “reunion” is more accurate than “first-time pairing.” ACL added a new festival appearance to a connection that already existed both on record and onstage.
The Timing Connected Two Album Eras
The guest appearance arrived while both artists were supporting recent releases. Apple Music and Live Nation date Charli’s Music, Fashion, Film to July 24, 2026. Live Nation’s tour announcement also listed Charli’s October 2 and October 9 ACL appearances among her 2026 live dates.
Apple Music and Billboard date Tinashe’s Popstar to September 25, 2026. The Billboard 200 chart dated October 10 places the album at No. 6, while Billboard’s accompanying coverage identifies it as Tinashe’s first top-10 album on the chart and the highest-charting album of her career.
That context gave the appearance more significance than a reunion centered entirely on an older release. Charli was in the middle of her Music, Fashion, Film campaign, while Tinashe was introducing songs from a newly released album that had achieved her best Billboard 200 position.
The set therefore connected two active album cycles while acknowledging a relationship that stretched back to 2015. It also reversed the direction of their previous studio encounter: after Tinashe entered Charli’s Brat world on “B2b,” Charli’s ACL set provided a platform for songs from Tinashe’s Popstar.
A Brief Timeline of Their Collaborations
- February 17, 2015: Ty Dolla $ign releases “Drop That Kitty,” featuring Charli XCX and Tinashe.
- April 12, 2015: Charli, Tinashe and Ty Dolla $ign perform “Drop That Kitty” at the MTV Movie Awards.
- October 2024: Tinashe appears on Charli’s reworked “B2b” for Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat.
- July 24, 2026: Charli releases Music, Fashion, Film.
- September 25, 2026: Tinashe releases Popstar.
- October 2026: Popstar reaches No. 6, giving Tinashe her first Billboard 200 top-10 album.
- October 9, 2026: Tinashe joins Charli’s ACL set and performs “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” and “Melatonin.”
Taken together, these moments show an intermittent but durable creative connection. Charli XCX and Tinashe moved from sharing a recording and televised performance with Ty Dolla $ign to working within Charli’s catalog and, eventually, presenting Tinashe’s music during Charli’s festival set.
Leave a Reply