Halsey Got Real About The Pressure Of Being A Mom And Staying "Profitable"

On July 19, Halsey welcomed their first child with partner and screenwriter Alev Aydin. Then, on Aug. 27, Halsey’s new album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power came out, with the cover image starring a semi-topless Halsey and an adorable baby, in a tribute to pregnant and postpartum bodies. Yet their experience surrounding pregnancy and her career wasn’t easy, and now, Halsey opened up about the pressure to stay profitable as a mom.

Halsey’s album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, and its accompanying film of the same name, was highly influenced by their journey toward parenthood. When they unveiled the cover photo of the album on Instagram, the singer and new mom introduced the record as "a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.”

Although Ender, Halsey’s newborn baby, may have inspired their latest projects, Halsey shared the professional challenges she faced during their pregnancy. In a recent Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, Halsey said her experience navigating personal conversations with business executives at her record label made her feel obligated to assure them that although she was pregnant, her productivity wouldn’t decrease.

"You have to call the CEO of X, Y, Z and say, 'Hey, hi. I'm just calling to let you know, I'm pregnant. I didn't want you to find out on Instagram. I wanted to tell you myself, personally. It's still business as usual over here though, don't worry,'" Halsey said. "'My personal choice isn't going to affect your profitability or your productivity or your assembly line,'" she continued. "‘And also, in what world would you ever have to call me to tell me that you were having a baby? But I have to call you because it impacts your product.'"

Throughout the interview, Halsey also discussed the ways in which media outlets tried to pigeonhole her into one specific image while she was both pregnant and promoting her album.

"I mean, there was publications [that when] we were going out and trying to set up magazine covers based around the album release, they were like, 'Yeah, but is she going to be pregnant? Because we don't want to do a maternity cover,'" Halsey said.

"And I was like, 'It's not a maternity cover,'" they continued. "'It's about my album, I just happen to be pregnant.' And they're like, 'No, it's a pregnant cover.' And I was like, 'So I can't go talk about my album?'"

Even successful celebrities face rampant sexism in the workplace, and Halsey opening up about her own experience gives other expecting mothers a glimpse into the challenges they might face in the future. Pregnant or not, Halsey’s new album is amazing, so support the singer and mother by listening to her new music.