Halsey explains comments comparing Kendrick Lamar to Lady Gaga
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Singer had argued that female artists find it more difficult to remain 'alternative' in eyes of public
Halsey has explained comments she recently made comparing Kendrick Lamar to Lady Gaga.
The US singer will release new record ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’ on June 2. It’s the follow-up to her 2015 top 10 debut ‘Badlands’.
During a recent interview, Halsey argued that female artists find it more difficult to remain “alternative” in the eyes of the listening public, citing Lamar and Gaga’s careers in the process.
“Kendrick [Lamar] has done a Maroon 5 feature, a Taylor Swift feature and a Sia feature — which is more pop features than I’ve done,” Halsey said. “No one’s calling him a pop star. But I’m being called one, even though I’m inherently an alternative artist. I don’t know if it’s a male thing, I don’t know if it’s an urban thing. I don’t know what it is. But if you’re a female alternative artist and you do anything that’s even slightly pop leaning, it’s condemning.”
She continued: “The lengths that Lady Gaga has to go to to maintain her cred as an artist of the counterculture are insane. If she does anything that’s even slightly too-pop people are going to be like ‘she sold out. She’s a pop artist.’ Kendrick Lamar can get on a Taylor Swift song and no one calls him a popstar, but Lady Gaga has to wear raw meat!”
After one Twitter user wrote: “Halsey is so dumb. Of course no one calls Kendrick a pop star because he is a RAPPER meanwhile she struggles to make pop music”, the singer responded saying: “The point wasn’t even about me. The point was how it’s harder for female artists to maintain counterculture because they get boxed into pop”.
Halsey continued to argue that female artists are “more likely” to be labelled as pop, adding: “It was just a discussion about beauty/tabloid culture effects female artists”.
See Halsey’s tweets in full below:
The point wasn't even about me. The point was how it's harder for female artists to maintain counterculture because they get boxed into pop https://t.co/vHdZ36AjvW
— h (@halsey) May 18, 2017
not saying anything bad about pop music. the convo was abt how pop features shouldnt consume an artist who's solo ventures are another genre https://t.co/UxQNaD34Aj
— h (@halsey) May 18, 2017
I don't care how I'm categorized. That part of the interview was just a discussion about genre & how females r more likely 2 get labeled pop
— h (@halsey) May 18, 2017
As long as I get to make music I'm happy. 🌹
— h (@halsey) May 18, 2017
@iameden I'm mostly talking about artists who are actively avoiding the pop label. I think the artists you mention embrace it.
— h (@halsey) May 18, 2017
@iameden I'm the 1st to argue that modern pop is genre bending. I agree. It was just a discussion about beauty/tabloid culture effects female artists
— h (@halsey) May 18, 2017
So far, Halsey has released the songs ‘Now Or Never’ and ‘Eyes Closed’ from her new album.
Halsey has also announced that she will be touring with Charli XCX and PartyNextDoor in support of her album during September, October and November.
Announcing the news on Twitter, Halsey wrote: “This is the biggest tour I’ve ever done. and I’m gonna bring u the biggest show to go with it”.