Houston pop singer Halston Dare has gone from doing covers on Instagram to supporting Danity Kane on their 2019 tour. She has used her social media presence to develop her audience and create a platform where she can share her story, and of course, her music. Dare's confidence in expressing her truth resonates in her latest release, "Replace You", a sharply worded tune that declares "don't forget I could replace you" in response to a past relationship.
As the singer continues to embark on her musical journey, Dare took time to speak with us about her bold debut single, what inspires her to create, and the exciting new projects she will be releasing very soon.
I READ THAT YOU GREW UP IN AN ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDED BY MUSIC, BUT WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO ENTER THE INDUSTRY YOURSELF?
Halston: "When I was a freshman in high school, I went o a Katy Perry concert in November for a late birthday present, and going to her concert was the coolest thing I've ever been to. It was so monumental for me and I'll never forget that experience. During the song 'Birthday' she flew over the crowd and I was telling myself, 'Oh my goodness, this is what I wanna do when I get older!'"
YOU HAVE GONE FROM HAVING A "COVER MONDAY" SERIES ON INSTAGRAM TO RELEASING SEVERAL SINGLES. HOW DID IT FEEL TO SHARE YOUR MUSIC WITH YOUR AUDIENCE/FOLLOWERS?
H: "It feels amazing. All I've ever wanted to do was tell a story and be transparent with my fans and let them in on my life, in my writing style, and my story.The fact that I'm being able to do that is incredible and the support has been amazing as well."
IN 2019, YOU GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN FOR POP GROUP DANITY KANE. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
H: "Oh my goodness! It was insane! I will never forget that performance or the audience and I will always cherish it for the rest of my life. Getting up on that stage and performing for the audience made me realize that, yes, life can be hard, and my career may not be where I want to be right now, but this is my purpose and this is why I am on this earth, to be a performer. I'm so glad that I did it and it was also such a fun weekend with my team as well."
YOU HAVE RECENTLY RELEASED "REPLACE YOU". A REBELLIOUS TUNE ABOUT A PAST RELATIONSHIP. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TRACK.
H: "My writer and producer, Michelle Buzz,and I had been talking about an argument that I had with my boyfriend at the time. I was just so dumbfounded because he was acting so crazy at the moment and I made the comment to her that he thinks I am replaceable and that is not the case. And that's how we basically came up with a concept for 'Replace You'."
WORKING ALONGSIDE SONGWRITER MICHELLE BUZZ, YOU HAVE CREDITED HER FOR HELPING YOU BRING YOUR MUSIC TO A NEW LEVEL. HOW DID THAT MENTORSHIP GUIDE YOUR CREATIVITY?
H: "Honestly, it was just so natural and we just screw around every single time we were together writing. Michelle is honestly such an incredible woman and I will always appreciate her, not only is she kind, humble, and down to earth, but she is an incredible writer and producer and I am so lucky that I had the opportunity to work with her."
YOU HAVE A FABULOUS FOLLOWING ON INSTAGRAM. I HAS ALLOWED YOU TO SHARE YOUR MUSIC. ALSO THINGS SUCH AS YOUR MAKEUP AND FASHION LOOKS. HOW HAS THIS PLATFORM HELPED YOU EXPRESS YOURSELF AND GROW A FANBASE?
H: "I am just so blessed that I'm able to do it all and share my interests with everyone. It's been super fun and I'm glad that I'm able to share about how much I love makeup, and fashion, and music, and everyone responded really kindly and supportive to it."
REGARDING YOUR MUSIC, WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED NEXT? WILL THERE BE AN EP OR MUSIC TO ACCOMPANY YOUR NEW SINGLE?
H: "So excited to say that I will be doing a music video for 'Replace You' in the next couple weeks and releasing more music after that/ Everyone can check it out and keep up with me on all of my social media @halstondare!"
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