As a full-time poptimist, I spend my days and nights campaigning for the work of my favorite pop girls. Yes, I’m on the frontlines for the Taylors, Beyoncés, and Gagas of the world, but my work extends far beyond that. For years, I’ve been spreading the good word of Carly Rae Jepsen. I’ve stolen aux cords and joined Spotify Jams just for the chance to sneak in a track from Tove Lo or JoJo. My friends are beleaguered by my efforts to make them care about the niche-est of niche stars like Astrid S. Oh, and did they know that Rebecca Black has made the pivot into sultry, experimental hyperpop? Have they taken the time to really appreciate Ella Mai’s pipes or Addison Rae’s dance moves? Have they uplifted Tinashe today?
When your full-time job is being a dedicated stan, seeing stars like Zara Larsson or Slayyyter finally have their moment in the midnight sun doesn’t seem all that surprising. Instead, it just feels like the rest of the world is finally catching up. So, when Tinashe earned her first Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 this week, thanks to her new hit-filled juggernaut, Popstar (which debuted at No. six), it felt like I got what I’d been waiting for all along.
Tinashe’s mainstream success can be attributed, in part, to the poptimists of social media who started a movement jokingly asking people what they are doing to “uplift Tinashe” in their daily lives.
The trend arose as a response to the idea that the “2 On” singer has been underrated for far too long, and with a new album full of critically-acclaimed bangers—from “Too Easy” to “Melatonin” to “Cloud 9”—fans wanted to do whatever it took to bring more attention to the music.
The trend became so viral that it even caught the attention of Tinashe herself, who tweeted: “All of this ‘uplifting Tinashe’ is soo wholesome I’m literally teary eyed 🥹.”
The movement reached a new peak this past weekend, when Charli XCX brought the R&B singer out as a surprise guest during her Austin City Limits set, where she cheekily referenced the meme: “I’ve got a surprise for you... f*cking uplift her, baby!”
Of course, Charli certainly understands what it’s like to spend years as an indie artist before bursting onto the mainstream. Early in her career, she enjoyed success with hits like “Boom Clap” and her feature on Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” but the British singer spent the subsequent years mostly underground. That is, until her 2024 Brat album became a cultural phenomenon, getting so big that it even inspired the campaign branding of presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
In the past few years, stars like Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter have been able to enjoy these breakthroughs, but in 2026—and in the wake of the “Khia asylum” discourse—it seems that even more stars who spent years on the artistic fringes are suddenly having their moment.
Slayyyter performed for an estimated crowd of over 50,000 at Lollapalooza in July. Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress achieved their first-ever global number-one song with the viral “Stateside” remix. Raye has become a Grammy-nominated artist. Madison Beer is selling out Madison Square Garden.
While the #UpliftTinashe movement is mostly a light-hearted meme, it also, more seriously, acts a rallying cry to champion your favorite underrated artists, who maybe haven’t gotten all their flowers. Your friends and loved ones may not always want to listen, but you never know if you might be introducing someone to their new favorite artist.
And for someone like Tinashe, who has spent a decade-plus working her booty off in the industry, the recognition feels like a much-deserved prize. As she wrote when she received her first Top 10 album spot: “My heart is so full. Yall really uplifted me all the way to a #6 debut on the Billboard 200 chart 😭😭😭 This is really a DREAM COME TRUE for me. I’ve always known my value as an artist was not based on a chart position but DAMN this sure feels amazing to be reaching new career heights after 10+ years in the game. I’m SOOO grateful. THANK YOU for listening 💗.”