Releasing a new single and an album while most of the world is on lockdown may seem unwise, but Academy Award ® nominated actress and multi-platinum recording artist Hailee Steinfeld sees it as a timely opportunity to bring people together.
“I always say that music has a unique ability to connect people and bring people joy, and as a fan of music, I’m always looking for my favorite artists to put new tunes out,” Hailee shares in a virtual press conference for Philippine media outfits last April 22. “So as strange as it feels to be putting music out, it almost feels like the right thing to do because I think it continues to connect people to me, connect me to people, and connect people to well, people.”
“I Love You’s,” is the second single Hailee has released this year and will be featured on Part 1 of her new project out on May 1. In addition to “I Love You’s,” Part 1 of Hailee’s new project will feature five tracks including her “emotional ballad” (Billboard) “Wrong Direction,” which she performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last month.
With the release of “I Love You’s” comes her directorial debut for its music video, which she co-directed with Sarah McColgan (Charli XCX, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey). “I love making music videos—I feel like that’s where my two worlds collide,” Hailee explains, referring to her other career as an actor.
The music video, depicted in black and white, shows Hailee confined in a room alone. She says the concept is a portrayal of how it felt like after going through a breakup.
“With ‘I Love You’s,’ I do think there’s such a strong message of self-love, which seems to be a recurring theme in my music. But this song is about being in a sort of confined space and losing sight of who I was and realizing that time alone and time for myself was what I really needed and that it wasn’t such a bad thing.”
After earning more than eight billion streams globally for her breakout double-platinum debut single “Love Myself,” as well the triple-platinum hit “Starving,” and platinum-certified singles “Most Girls” and “Let Me Go,” Hailee has cemented herself as a true pop icon in the music industry.
Not only that, she gained respect as a crossover artist after earning recognition from her performances on the big screen. She made her film debut in 2010 with the Coen Brothers’ “True Grit,” which she earned an Oscar® nomination for. Since then, she starred in films such as Pitch Perfect 2 and 3, the Edge of Seventeen (which earned her two Critics’ Choice® Award nominations and a Golden Globe® nomination), and most recently, Bumblebee.
When asked which part of her life right now she is saying “I love you” to, in reference to her most recent single, Hailee explains how she is taking all of the good with all of the bad.
“Of course I would always say ‘I love you’ to the wonderful things in my life. But there are parts to what I do that aren’t so wonderful, even if I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to do what I love. All of us know we have to climb some hills to get to the top and it’s not always pretty or fun or exciting. Sometimes I would question why I would do certain things and I know it’s to get to the top of that one hill. And I’m constantly reminding myself of that. I do it for an ultimate reason and that’s what keeps me going on.”