Halsey and Capitol Records Sever Ties a Year After TikTok Dispute
Halsey and Capitol Records are calling it quits after the artist released music for eight years on the label.
“After eight great years the decision to leave Capitol is bittersweet, but we are excited about exploring a new partnership and sharing new music with fans,” Halsey’s managers, Anti-Pop’s Jason Aron and Anthony Li, said in a statement.
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Capitol also released a statement: “Everyone at Capitol poured their hearts and souls into helping Halsey achieve their dreams and present their music to the world. We are incredibly proud of all we accomplished together, and wish Halsey the very best in all their future endeavors.”
The split comes nearly a year after Halsey had voiced their dismay in May 2022 over a song that they said was ready for release for more than a month, but the label refused to drop it. It was allegedly being shelved by the label “unless they can fake a viral moment on tiktok,” Halsey shared in a TikTok video featuring the song “So Good.”
“Basically I have a song that I love that I wanna release ASAP,” Halsey wrote while listening to the track in a video at the time. “But my record label won’t let me.”
By the end of that month, Capitol had issued a statement that said they would support their artist. “We love you and are here to support you,” the label wrote, in a statement calling itself a company “that encourages open dialogue.”
“We have nothing but a desire to help each one of our artists succeed, and hope that we can continue to have these critical conversations,” the statement continued, and promised in its social media caption that it would release the song on June 9, 2022.
“So Good” did indeed arrive on the release date. Halsey’s last album on Capitol is If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, which came out in August 2021. The Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-produced LP bowed at Number Two on the Billboard 200.
While what label they will land on is still up in the air, Halsey will be performing a trio of intimate sets this summer in partnership with Hard Rock Live, with proceeds benefiting two LGBTQ+ organizations. The three concerts are scheduled for June 24 in Hollywood, Florida; June 30 in Gary, Indiana; and July 2 in Wheatland, California.
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