Arts & Entertainment
Halsey accuses Demi Lovato of exploiting bisexuality in her music
the pop star calls out the ‘Cool for the Summer’ singer’s lyrics
(Screenshot via YouTube.)
Halsey is sick of the way bisexuality is portrayed in pop songs and in the media.
The 22-year-old singer, who identifies as bisexual, spoke with Paper magazine about her thoughts on other pop stars using bisexual lyrics in their songs.
“It’s bisexuality as a taboo,” Halsey says. “‘Don’t tell your mom,’ or ‘We shouldn’t do this’ or ‘This feels so wrong but it’s so right.'”
“This feels so wrong but it’s so right” appears to be in reference to Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.” “Don’t tell your mom” is a lyric from “Cool for the Summer” by Demi Lovato about a same-sex summer fling.
“That narrative is so f*uc*ng damaging to bisexuality and its place in society. That’s something I’ve had to fight my whole life and something I still fight. I still see people on the internet saying, ‘Of course Halsey says she’s bisexual. It’ll help her sell albums,'” Halsey continued.
Lovato appeared to be throwing shade at Halsey with a subtweet referencing “Cool for the Summer.”
You know a song is a hit when people are still talking about the lyrics two years later. ??#shhhhdonttellyourmother
— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) June 23, 2017
Halsey also addressed biphobia in both the straight and LGBT community saying that people find it hard to accept bisexuality as legitimate.
“There’s a lack of acceptance. It happens in TV all the time when people write bisexual characters as going through a phase or struggling with something. It’s part of some mental breakdown or rebellion storyline, and that just sucks,” Halsey says. “It’s like, “Oh, I used to be gay and now I’m straight.’ Well, that’s literally not how any of this works, because you can be married to a man and still be a bisexual woman.”
The singer’s single “Strangers” from her latest album is about being in a relationship with another woman. Fellow bisexual artist Lauren Jauregui duets on the track.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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