By Megan Armstrong, Dec 7 2018
You are cordially invited to attend Halston Dare's '80s-themed costume party.
As soon as she rolls up in a red sports car with a Texas license plate donning “HALSTON,” you know you’re in for something. She gets out of the car “wearing the dress that you liked,” and we’re guess she isn’t talking about the handsome young man on her arm. Our suspicions are confirmed when a different young man stares at her across the room.
“I can’t help you can’t get over me / I can’t help you can’t get over you,” she sings before being joined in the living room by four other dancers in ’80s-themed gear. In a press release, Dare said, “I love writing based on fairytales and stories I make up in my head. I love sharing my hopes, fantasies and daydreams.” However, “Something Special” is a slight departure from that.
“The inspiration behind this video comes from my real life,” Dare tells tmrw. “I think every girl, whether she’s in her teens or an adult, comes across a guy at some point who’s ego is too big. I have had that experience, too. I want other girls to know that they’re not the only ones. I also am super inspired by old school music, so I decided to incorporate that vibe in the video.”
Outside of this party — and music video — Dare is a well-round young woman. She grew up in a Cuban-American family surrounded by music. As a young girl, she listened to classics from the ’80s — hence the music video — among other eras including the ’90s and Whitney Houston. In fact, at 11 years old, it was her cover of Houston’s “I Have Nothing” in front of 5,000 people that first grabbed her family’s attention.
It is Dare’s desire to empower other young women, which is apparent in her video for “Something Special.” The overall plot is about an ex-boyfriend, but scene-by-scene the spotlight is placed on confident girls dancing joyfully. Dare has a strong, personal connection to her fans — she has over 155,000 followers on Instagram — and encourages them to be her friend rather than just a listener.
“I reached out to my fans via Instagram story and some from Nashville responded, and I actually had some of them come,” Dare tells tmrw about incorporating her fans into the music video. “It was so exciting for me, and I became friends with many of them. I was really grateful that I got to meet some of my fans and have them be a part of the ‘Something Special’ music video. I hope my fans feel like they’re a part of my music journey because I really couldn’t do this without them.”
In this video and beyond, Dare’s message is this: “Reflect you. Show everyone how you can be the best you can be. If someone tells you you can’t, don’t listen to them. The only person who can stop you is you.”
Watch the music video below: