ABC/Paula LoboIt’s been a big week for Halsey: She performed on ABC’s Good Morning America, was nominated for two American Music Awards and Saturday, she plays her home state of New Jersey on her tour in support of her #1 album hopeless fountain kingdom. Halsey says the trek’s been “outrageous, and kind of unbelievable,” but challenging, too.
“The most important thing for me has been maintaining the intimacy of it, which is…difficult when you’re in an arena,” Halsey says. “I have people that are hundreds of feet away from me. How do I make them feel like I’m engaging with them directly?”
Her solution? A stage that allows her to pop up in different places. “I’m doing a lot of running, but it’s really rewarding, ’cause I’m getting to hug a lot of fans and see a lot of people face-to-face, and maintain that bond,” she says.
Halse’s a role model for her fans: she thrives in an industry which doesn’t always treat young women very well. Her advice for girls who want to follow in her footsteps? Don’t let anyone define you.
“As a woman…people will always expect you to be one thing,” she cautions. “The ‘good girl.’ The ‘good-girl-gone-bad.’ ‘America’s sweetheart.’ People love to pigeonhole you. Especially in media.”
That’s why Halsey says she had to explain why to fans how she can be on the cover of Playboy, and speak at a Planned Parenthood event.
“It’s because I’m multiple things,” she explains. “I’m a performer, but I’m also a sexually active young adult…and someone who suffers from a reproductive illness. I am all these different things, and I can speak on all of them.”
“That’s the most important thing for a young woman to remember,” she adds. “Never let anyone make you be one thing.”
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