Halsey Graces ‘Time’ Cover, and Fans Are Freaking Out

Singer Halsey made the cover of Time this week, as the magazine named her one of its “Next Generation Leaders.” The “Be Kind” singer said she was “supremely honored” to appear on the cover, just a few weeks after Time included her on its 2020 list of 100 Most Influential People in the world. Halsey’s fans were incredibly excited to see her receive the honor.

The magazine singled Halsey, 26, for her music and tireless activism. She is famous for willingly discussing her bipolar disorder, growing up in a biracial family, and being bisexual. Halsey has also never shied away from politics, vocally supporting Planned Parenthood and talking with Sen. Bernie Sanders about motivating young people to vote. “You vote for humanity, or you don’t,” Halsey told Time. “You vote for a racist or you don’t. That’s the black and white of it to me.”

Halsey was born Ashley Frangipane in Edison, New Jersey to a Black father and white mother. She moved to New York City by herself at 17 and released her first album, Badlands, just three years later. She told Time the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer have inspired her to be more vocal on her platform. “I went to the first protest not knowing what to expect. I came home shot twice with rubber ammunition,” she explained, calling the experience a “real wake-up call” for her. She was inspired to start the Black Creators Funding Initiative to sent $10,000 grants to Black artists.

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In the Time interview, Halsey disclosed for the first time that she started using medication for her bipolar disorder while quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic. She tried to avoid taking medication for years, fearing it could affect her creativity, but she decided to try it since she could no longer perform. “It has changed my life,” she said. Halsey’s latest album’s title, Manic, was inspired by her mental health journey.

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Back in September, Halsey was included in Time‘s list of Most Influential People. The K-Pop group BTS wrote the essay about her after they worked with her on the single “Boy With Luv.” “Halsey is not only a strikingly talented artist but also a dedicated partner who sincerely devotes everything to the art we create together,” the group wrote. “She inspires us, and we’re incredibly honored to be able to call her our cherished friend. We cannot wait to see what she has for the world down the road.”

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“Supremely honored to appear on the cover of [Time],” Halsey wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of the cover. “And eternally grateful to bear witness to an incredible generation that amazes me every single day with their unbridled passion for making this world a better place.” Time also shared the cover on Twitter, where many of her fans celebrated the honor she received. “Thank you so much for choosing her to do this,” one fan wrote to the magazine. “Halsey is awesome,” another wrote.

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Halsey was not included on the cover of the 100 Most Influential People issue, but she did share a special message on Instagram when she received that honor. “It’s an absolute honor to be named one of [Time]’s 100 Most Influential People in the world,” she wrote. “Thank you to my friends BTS… for writing a beautiful piece about our work and friendship to introduce me. And thank you to everyone who tuned in to watch my performance last night. It is overwhelming to be recognized in this way, but I can only hope that with the support of my friends and fans we can do so much more with our platform in a time where we need it the most.”

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“Halsey on the cover of Time magazine……… love seeing her get recognition for all of her hard work and dedication yup,” one fan wrote on Twitter. Another commented on her hairstyle. “Can we just appreciate how BEAUTIFUL Halsey looks w her braids on the cover of Time Magazine?” the fan wrote.

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“I don’t think it has processed yet that Halsey is really on the cover of TIME MAGAZINE LIKE…..” one very excited fan tweeted. “ok but srsly you KNOW you’ve made it when you’re on the cover of Time magazine. Extremely proud of u,” another fan wrote.