Toward the end of her sold-out homecoming show at the Chicago Theatre, hometown hero Tink’s onstage DJ named the singer and rapper “the queen of R&B.” Based on the raucous energy of the audience within the venue, that title is not without merit.
Going to a concert has been something of a challenge for both artists and audiences recently. In a time when listeners can easily find, consume and discard musicians and songs within a matter of weeks, it can be difficult to create a sustainable community around one’s music. And yet, that doesn’t appear to be a problem for Tink who, despite selling out numerous venues around the country, seems to hold a special place in her heart for Chicago. For those who know her background, that comes as no surprise.
Born and raised in South Suburban Calumet City, Tink (born Trinity Home) has grown from an ambitious local upstart to a bona fide star in the new world of R&B. Her start began more than a decade ago with the drop of her debut mixtape, “Winter’s Diary.” Released while the multifaceted performer was still in high school, “Winter’s Diary” garnered both local and national attention. The release of her next mixtape, “Winter’s Diary 2: Forever Yours,” in 2014 solidified her place among a new crop of emerging performers who easily blended genres (in this case, R&B and hip-hop) by themselves and all within one track. Outlets like “Rolling Stone” and “Billboard” named “Winter’s Diary 2: Forever Yours” one of the best releases of 2014. In 2015, she was also named to the prominent Freshman Class from “XXL,” a hip-hop magazine.
After a few major label fits and starts — as well as a bevy of mixtape releases — her debut album, “Hopeless Romantic,” dropped in early 2020. Since then, she has released a new album every year, culminating in “Thanks 4 Nothing,” Tink’s fourth album which came out this February and is undoubtedly her most confident record yet.
Sunday night’s performance at the Chicago Theatre was the apotheosis of years of hard work, hustle and grind. And her fan base, largely young women in their 20s, were there to celebrate Tink’s successes. Her excited fans laughed, hugged each other and twerked to her music and the occasional footwork track dropped in down moments. Wafts of marijuana permeated the room as cellphones shot up to record not only Tink’s performance with her vivacious background dancers, but also the liveliness of the venue.
This was not an evening for casual fans, though they likely would not have been able to acquire a ticket anyway. The audience embraced both songs new (like “Tongue Tied” on “Thanks 4 Nothing”) and old, with most in the crowd singing along to the lyrics — verses, choruses and bridges included.
Toward the end of the evening, she welcomed beloved R&B singer-songwriter Jeremih to the stage to perform their collaborative hit and new R&B classic, “Don’t Tell Nobody.” The track, nearly a decade old, sounds as fresh as ever and still rouses listeners as if hearing it for the first time. The moment was especially poignant for fans of Jeremih, a Chicago native and influential musician who recently grappled with a life-threatening COVID-19 diagnosis. At one point, he even referred to Tink as “his little sister.”
It was a fitting moment of connection and further recognition of Tink’s Chicago roots. “I wanna say thank y’all for everything,” she later said to the crowd. The room erupted in cheers. Her life and music may take her around the country (and around the world), but there’s no place quite like home for Tink.
Britt Julious is a freelance critic.