Yahoo Movies Halsey accuses label of holding new single hostage over a fake 'viral moment on TikTok'
Halsey's got new music she's excited about but her fans may not get to hear it, at least in its entirety, anytime soon.
In a TikTok she posted Sunday morning, the singer claims she has a song that she loves and wants to release "ASAP" but "my record company is saying that I can't release it unless they can fake a viral moment on TikTok."
Jason Kempin/Getty Images Singer Halsey attends 53rd annual CMA Awards
"Everything is marketing," the post continues, with the unreleased song playing in the background, "And they are doing this to basically every artist these days."
Noting that she just wants to "release music," Halsey also pulls some receipts, adding that she's been "in this industry eight years," "sold over 165 million records," and "deserves better."
"Our belief in Halsey as a singular and important artist is total and unwavering," a spokesperson for Capitol Music Group said via a statement to EW. "We can't wait for the world to hear their brilliant new music."
Reps from Halsey did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
Halsey signed to Astralwerks, Capitol Records' electronic music subsidiary, in 2014, citing the creativity the label offered her, though she has since bumped heads with them — such as the "dehumanizing" experience she was subjected to when she got pregnant.
"[T]here were moments when I felt powerless," Halsey told Hits Daily Double last November. "Updating my progression to accommodate execs and investors, making sure the arrival of my child was timely enough that it wouldn't cost anyone money, was dehumanizing."
Meanwhile, the music industry's dependance on TikTok has become more obvious as labels engineer songs to become viral using influencers on the popular app, but clearly not all artists are fans of the strategy.
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