News: Tinashe declares her arrival with a bold new album

Not that you would know it from the polish and sophistication of her new album, but once upon a time Tinashe Kachingwe was sort of a weirdo among her peers. She was a driven child from an early age, growing up in Los Angeles where she acted and modeled, starting when she was about 3, before eventually working her way into music. The other kids didn’t get it, but she did.

“I knew I wanted to be a star,” the R&B singer says, exaggerating that last word with a laugh even though you suspect she means it.

By the time she was 18, Tinashe, who performs under her first name (pronounced tee-NAH-shay), was already seasoned — and smart enough to realize she couldn’t rely on traditional roads to success. She bought equipment, set up a home studio, taught herself recording and editing software, and got to work.

“At that point I had already been around for a while and knew what I wanted and knew that I couldn’t wait for someone else to make it happen,” she says.

Before releasing her excellent new album, “Aquarius,” her first for a label (RCA Records), she had already self-released three mixtapes on her website. They’re still there and free to download (www.tinashenow.com). With “Aquarius” climbing the R&B charts, she’s on the road too. On a lineup full of rap heavyweights, including T.I. and J. Cole, Tinashe is part of JAM’N 94.5’s Monster Jam on Sunday at the DCU Center in Worcester.