Image credit: glenjamn3 / CC from 3.0
Just two months after her split from Capitol Records, Halsey has joined Columbia Records.
The singer first signed to Astralwerks, a Capitol label, in 2013. All four of her studio albums have been released on Capitol Records – but now a new chapter begins for Halsey.
Columbia Records announced that Halsey joined their roster on June 14th, joining acts such as Rosalia, The Kid Laroi, Harry Styles, Adele, Beyoncé and many others. Halsey hinted at the new moves in a Tumblr post to her fans about a month and a half ago. “I know you want new music. I want you to know that I work hard. There have been some limitations that I’ve been subject to for much longer than it seemed, but they’re no longer in my way. I’m sure you can fill in the gaps.” writes.
Halsey had a fairly public “fight” with Capitol Records after claiming on TikTok that she couldn’t release new music unless she caught a viral moment. As planned, this TikTok went viral. New music was released and the general public got a behind-the-scenes look at how the music industry works — how the sausage is made. According to Halsey, the manufactured moment has even angered some industry unrest.
In an interview with NME, Halsey said her younger brother told her about instances where people were upset by her public statements. “Dude, why does your sister have to open her big mouth?” was a quote he was allegedly accused of in her decision. Others have thanked her for speaking out — whether the moment was brought about or not.
Halsey says the time she spent building a brand on TikTok reminded her of the early years at Tumblr. “It pretty much reminded me of how I started Tumblr, using Tumblr as a way to cultivate a very specific creative brand and then once that brand was established, release music.”
Her last track released on Capitol Records was called “The 4 Me” and it came out two weeks after the viral TikTok, where she complained that she needed a viral moment.