Halsey vented her frustration with her record label in a TikTok Sunday morning, claiming that they are prevented 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 lyrics that begin the 29-second clip.
With the unreleased track apparently playing in the background and a frown on his face, Halsey (using she/they pronoun) continued, “I’ve been in this industry for eight years and have sold over 165 million records and my record company says, i can’t release [the song] unless they can fake a viral moment on TikTok.”
Representatives from Halsey and her label, Astralwerks/Capitol, did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment Sunday. The irony of Halsey creating a TikTok viral moment and claiming that her label wouldn’t release the song without a TikTok viral moment was not lost on observers.
@halseyI’m tired♬ Original sound – Halsey
As more and more artists see success with the TikTok algorithm, it’s no secret that labels and artist teams have started producing “viral moments” on the platform to increase excitement about a release or project. In April, Kid Laroi and his ex-manager Scooter Braun reaped the power of TikTok virality by starting a fake feud to promote Laroi’s song “Thousand Miles.”
“It’s all marketing,” concluded Halsey’s Tiktok, “and that’s what they’re doing to every artist these days. I just want to release music man and I deserve better tbh. I am tired.”
Halsey has been signed to Astralwerks since 2014 and this isn’t the first time she’s claimed they’ve disagreed. Last August, Halsey took aim at record labels and the media in an interview about her latest album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. The singer-songwriter, who recently welcomed her first child, smugly commented on what appears to have been the label’s reaction to the pregnancy.
“You have to call the CEO of X, Y, Z and say, ‘Hey, hello. I’m just calling to let you know I’m pregnant. I didn’t want you to find out on Instagram. I wanted to tell you personally. It’s still business as usual here though, don’t worry,'” Halsey told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “My personal decision will not affect your profitability, your productivity or your assembly line. And besides, in what world would you ever have to call me to tell me you’re having a baby? But I have to call you because it has an impact on your product.’”
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