Charli XCX brought out Tinashe as a surprise guest during her headlining set at Austin City Limits Festival on Friday, October 9, delivering the first live performances of two songs from Tinashe’s new album, Popstar. The pair took the American Express stage at Zilker Park for “Melatonin” and “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore,” with Charli encouraging the crowd to show her fellow pop star some love.
“F—ing uplift her, baby,” Charli told the audience as she welcomed Tinashe to the stage, capturing the supportive spirit behind one of Weekend 2’s standout moments. The appearance followed days of teasing, with Charli sharing archival footage of their 2015 collaboration “Drop That Kitty,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. Their reunion connected a decade of shared history with two artists currently enjoying significant new chapters in their careers.
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Tinashe’s appearance also put the spotlight on Popstar, her eighth studio album, released September 25. The project debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 35,500 equivalent album units, earning her first top-10 album and her strongest opening week to date. The record has received strong critical praise and builds on the independent momentum she developed through releases including BB/Ang3l and Quantum Baby.
For Charli, the guest appearance came during a set supporting Music, Fashion, Film, her eighth studio album, released July 24. The project debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 78,000 equivalent album units, giving her the biggest opening week of her career by units. The album also topped the UK Albums Chart.
The Austin City Limits performance reflected that creative shift, pairing newer material with the high-energy pop that established Charli’s recent era. Her set drew from Music, Fashion, Film alongside Brat favorites including “360,” “Von Dutch,” “Club Classics” and “365,” with costume changes, dancers and elaborate staging shaping the production. Weekend 1 featured Troye Sivan as a surprise guest.
Charli xcx and Tinashe have crossed paths musically beyond “Drop That Kitty,” with Tinashe also appearing on the “B2b” remix during Charli’s Brat era. Watch Charli XCX and Tinashe perform “Melatonin” and “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” at Austin City Limits below.
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