Here's What To Know About HRVY, Your New Fave British Heartthrob
Nothing makes me happier than award show season. Why? Because it's the perfect time to celebrate all our favorite artists, as well as introduce ourselves to new ones, like HRVY, who's competing against Billie Eilish, Juice WRLD, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, and ROSALÍ for Choice Breakout Star at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards. I know, that's a pretty impressive lineup. It's going to be difficult choosing a winner, that's for sure. I mean, Lil Nas X just broke the Hot 100 record for most consecutive weeks at No. 1, and Billie Eilish has been totally dominating the radio with her single "Bad Guy." With that in mind, HRVY must be a big deal if he's nominated alongside such amazing artists for a TCA. In case you're not familiar with HRVY, I'm here to give you a crash course on the British singer. So, who is HRVY?
Similar to other celebs, the artist uses "HRVY" as a stage name, but unlike others who create a whole new name for themselves, "HRVY" is just a short version of his full name, which is actually Harvey Leigh Cantwell. In an interview with the Zach Sang Show, the 20-year-old revealed that he came up with "HRVY" by taking out the vowels of his original name, which looked much cooler than simply "Harvey."
He said, "You know The Weeknd he does it as well. He takes it out right at the end and I was like, 'You know, he's cool, so I'll do it as well.'"
Now that you know the story behind his name, let's talk about how HRVY got his start in the music world. At 13 years old, HRVY began sharing covers on his personal Facebook page, which caught the attention of his close friends, family members, and others in his town of Kent, England. Eventually, his covers began blowing up outside of his immediate circle, and he then signed a record deal with Universal Music and released his first single, "Thank You," in 2013.
Following the release of his debut single, HRVY supported British girl group Little Mix on their Salute tour in 2014, and then began to appear as a host on the BBC television show Friday Download, where he also participated in skits and conducted interviews with special guests. Occasionally, he would also sing on the show, too. Remember, this was in 2014, meaning that HRVY was only 15 years old at the time! I know, that's pretty impressive that he was already doing so much at such a young age. No wonder why, the following year, HRVY signed on to become a full-time host on the show.
Then, throughout the years, HRVY released EPs Holiday and Talk to Ya, as well as singles like "Phobia," "I Won't Let You Down," and the bilingual track "Hasta Luego," which was a collaboration with singer Malu Trevejo.
In 2017, HRVY dropped his single "Personal," which instantly became a favorite among fans, and even caught the attention of Stranger Things stars Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp, who danced to the track on Instagram.
If that wasn't impressive enough, HRVY's also collaborated with Sigala and Nina Nesbitt for "Somebody," Danna Paola for "So Good (Remix)," and K-Pop group NCT Dream for "Don't Need Your Love."
Aside from music, HRVY's also racked up a huge following on social media, particularly on Instagram, where he's accumulated over four million followers at the time of publication.
With all this in mind, it's clear to see that HRVY didn't just pop out of nowhere. He's been gradually working his way up to rightfully earn himself a nomination for Choice Breakout Star at the Teen Choice Awards among the likes of Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X.
No matter who wins, it's an honor to even be nominated! Because as HRVY's music journey shows, he's definitely earned it!
