Pop star Halsey says her label will not release her new music unless she goes viral on the Chinese-owned app TikTok, adding, “They are doing this to basically every artist.”
“Basically, I have a song that I love that I want to release ASAP, but my record label won’t let me,” Halsey said in a now-viral TikTok video. “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 it unless they can fake a viral moment on TikTok,” the singer added.
Halsey went on to say that “Everything is marketing. And they are doing this to basically every artist these days.”
“I just want to release music, man, and I deserve better,” she added. “I’m tired.”
Halsey is not the only artist to claim their label will not release their new music unless they produce a viral TikTok video.
Other artists — such as FKA Twigs, Charli XCX, and Florence And The Machine — have reportedly complained about their labels forcing them to use TikTok to promote their music.
When one commenter suggested that perhaps the TikTok video of Halsey complaining about needing to make viral TikTok videos is all she needs to release her new song, the singer replied, “I wish it was haha. They just said I have to post TikToks they didn’t specifically say ‘about what’ so here I am.”
On Monday, Halsey took to Twitter to further comment on the ordeal, lamenting, “at this point, i don’t know what to do because I told the truth about what’s happening and now I STILL don’t have a release date AND some of you think I’m lying about this whole fiasco.”
“So I’m double fucked lol. if you have questions, I have answers. I have nothing to hide,” the singer added.
“everyone has to do things they hate at their jobs,” said one Twitter user who commented. “your job is to sell music and your boss is telling you to make videos on the biggest music promotion platform. I don’t see that as some terrible dystopian oppression lol.”
Halsey replied, writing, “it’s not about making the tiktoks I already make tiktoks! They are saying if they don’t reach some imaginary goalpost of views or virality than they won’t give me a release date at all.”
“I’m not claiming to be oppressed! just saying that all not all marketing methods are universal,” she added.
In another tweet, Halsey noted that she has “never been stopped from release like this.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.