Charli XCX Welcomes Tinashe for Surprise Performance at 2026 Austin City Limits Festival
The duo performed two tracks from Tinashe’s Popstar album during the Oct. 9 set.
Source: Billboard Feed · October 10, 2026 at 9:31 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceKUALA LUMPUR, 11 OCTOBER 2026 —
Charli XCX surprised fans at the Austin City Limits Festival on Friday, Oct. 9, by bringing Tinashe onto the stage for a duet that featured two tracks from the singer’s new album, Popstar.
Market Impact
The performance began when Charli XCX announced Tinashe’s arrival, and the two performed a live debut of “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” followed by the Popstar single “Melatonin.” The set was preceded by a social‑media tease: Tinashe posted an Instagram Stories video of herself and Charli dancing backstage to their 2015 collaboration “Drop That Kitty,” which also featured Ty Dolla $ign.
Tinashe’s Popstar album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 6 in early October, her highest‑charting album and her first top‑10 appearance. In a post on X, she wrote, “I’m so unbelievably grateful, this is CRAZY! #6 BILLBOARD DEBUT,” adding crying emojis and thanking fans for their love and support before signing off with, “I’m cryinggggg.”
The two artists had previously collaborated on “Drop That Kitty” in 2015 and reunited in 2024 for a remix of “B2B,” which appeared on Charli XCX’s Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat releases.
During the festival’s opening weekend on Oct. 2, Charli XCX also brought out Troye Sivan, who performed “Le Boy” and “Party.” The 25th‑anniversary edition of the Austin City Limits Festival concluded with headlining acts RÜFÜS DU SOL, Lorde, Lola Young and Young Miko on Saturday, Oct. 10, and closing sets from Twenty One Pilots, The xx, Geese and Sofi Tukker on Sunday, Oct. 11.
Tinashe’s earlier chart history includes a No. 17 peak with her 2014 debut Aquarius, and subsequent albums Nightride (No. 89) and Joyride (No. 58). Her 2024 release Quantum Baby debuted at No. 199.
The surprise collaboration at Austin City Limits highlighted the continued commercial momentum of both artists and underscored the festival’s reputation for unexpected headline pairings.