From soft-spoken cutie to rockstar hottie, Cape Town songbird Amy Tjasink has just revealed Rebel B – her fiercer version of herself.
“Meet Rebel B”, Tjasink told her social media followers on Wednesday.
South Africa was first introduced to the singer and guitarist, when she appeared on season 3 of “The Voice SA” in 2019.
Tjasink said: “I’m excited to announce a project that’s been on the cards for a few years. Meet Rebel B. She’s the other side of me, the B side of the record, the unheard Amy, the fiercer version. This is not a re-brand, it’s a dual brand.”
The 29-year-old muso reassured fans: “I will still be releasing music under Amy Tjasink, but my darker more angsty music is going to be released under Rebel B.
“Some of you may wonder why I don’t just release everything under Amy Tjasink; the answer is that I want to start something fresh, I’m heading into a new era and I need to be true to my gut feelings and my heart.
“I have felt torn between these two versions of myself for years and often confused about what I want to release. I don’t want to be in one box anymore.”
Tjasink told IOL Entertainment of her desire to make some changes.
“In 2019, I took to the stage on ‘The Voice SA’ season 3 to elevate my career and work towards my ultimate dream of having my music heard and singing on those epic stages. I was best known for my pop songs with a country twist, and for playing my guitar.
“Since then, I was able to use my experience to grow my career as a songwriter. I recently wrote a track with Ben Brukman which was chosen as the theme tune for South Africa’s take on ‘Temptation Island’ on Showmax. This was a massive career highlight for me.
“In 2020, despite the pandemic, I released a number 1 single ‘Game Over’ featuring Jimmy Nevis, and getting to work with such a humble and amazing talent was also truly amazing.”
Due to the pandemic, Tjasink was forced to get a day job as an estate agent because the music industry had closed.
“For a long time, I have had another side of my personality brewing, a songstress that was slightly different from the Amy Tjasink that we know. I have been calling her the B side to my personality, sort of like a B side of a record in the old days.”
“My dad would always tell me that bands put their main hits on the A-side, but if you turned the record over, there were some gems on the B side – and that’s what Rebel B is all about.”
“I have been accumulating songs that were darker, edgier, and just plain badass, and I simply could not keep them hidden anymore. For three years, this side of me has been bursting to come out. She is rebellious, she is darker, and she has a lot to say,” she said.
So what’s the difference between Amy Tjasink and Rebel B?
She said: “It's simple, it's light and dark, innocent and edgy, it’s Taylor Swift versus Avril Lavigne.”
“Keep a lookout on my social platforms for Rebel B (rebelbunnysongs) to hear tasters of what’s to come. Be prepared for epic sassyness,” Tjasink teased.