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(Note: As mentioned in previous stories, Halsey uses both she/they pronouns.)
Halsey is currently touring in support of their fourth studio album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. She released that album and its companion film in August 2021. The album is a concept album, partially about her pregnancy, and came about pretty quickly after the release of Manic in January 2020. All this to say, Halsey has been a prolific musician recently and has even more new material to release. If only her label would allow it. Halsey took to TikTok on Sunday morning to explain that the label won’t let them release a new song they love unless they also manufacture a viral moment on TikTok.
Halsey vented her frustrations at her record label in a TikTok on Sunday morning, claiming that they’re being blocked from releasing a “song I love” for marketing reasons. “Basically, I have a song that I love that I want to release ASAP, but my record label won’t let me,” reads the text starting the 29-second clip.
With the unreleased track apparently playing in the background and a frown on their face, Halsey (who uses she/they pronouns) continued: “I’ve been in this industry for eight years and I’ve sold over 165 million records and my record company is saying I can’t release [the song] unless they can fake a viral moment on TikTok.”
Reps for Halsey and their label, Astralwerks/Capitol, did not immediately respond to Variety‘s requests for comment on Sunday. The irony of Halsey creating a viral TikTok moment claiming that their label will not release the song without a viral TikTok moment was not lost on observers.
As more artists have begun to see success with the TikTok algorithm, it’s no secret that labels and artist teams have started manufacturing “viral moments” on the platform in order to up the buzz surrounding a release or project.
“Everything is marketing,” concluded Halsey’s Tiktok, “and they are doing this to every artist these days. I just want to release music, man and I deserve better tbh. I’m tired.”
[From Variety]
In the comments, fans pointed out that this post could serve as the viral marketing moment, to which Halsey replied: “Bruh I wish it was haha. They just said I have to post tiktoks they didn’t specifically say “about what” so here I am ??.” She also said the label specifically wanted six videos. That’s a lot of material. The song is playing in the background of the video they did post. From what I can hear of the lyrics, it definitely sounds like an angsty breakup song. Maybe the label was hoping Halsey would post about past relationship drama. Their personal life is pretty stable now with a partner and child, so it seems unlikely this song is about Alev. They probably don’t want to invoke any slimy exes at this point. Also, even fake drama seems like unnecessary added stress on top of touring for someone who is already having health struggles. Halsey is probably popular enough and doesn’t need a fake TikTok moment to get the song trending, but they technically did do what the label wanted. Halsey just followed the spirit instead of the letter of the law. And gave us a glimpse of the wizard behind the curtains.
I’m tired
♬ original sound – Halsey
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