Halsey stuns Billboard Awards with ‘Without Me’ same-sex performance
Halsey (L) performs onstage during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 01, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Kevin Winter/Getty for dcp)
Halsey received praise on social media for the intensity of her performance of the hit song “Without Me” to a same-sex choreography.
Halsey, whose real name is Ashley Frangipane, has taken to the Billboard Music Awards stage twice on May 1, first performing her hit song “Without Me” with dancer Jade Chynoweth, and then along with K-pop sensation BTS for their collaboration “Boy With Luv.”
The choreography was created by Janelle Ginestra, who had previously directed Halsey and Chynoweth in a similar dance performed on The Voice in December.
VIDEO: Halsey performs Without Me at the #BBMAs pic.twitter.com/i2XdMatqjA
— Opinionated Me (@opinion8dmecom) May 2, 2019
“Tonight was for everyone. We are all equals. We are who we are. We never have to hide or deny that,” Ginestra wrote in an Instagram story after the performance was aired.
After the performance, Halsey appeared to archive all her Instagram posts, adding only three black squares. Her profile picture on Instagram and Twitter was also blacked out, sparking speculation about what she will be up to next.
Halsey performs onstage during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 01, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Kevin Winter/Getty for dcp)
In an Instagram story posted following the awards ceremony, the singer thanked her fans and the BTS fandom, known as ARMY, for their support.
“Tonight was the most fun I’ve ever had on stage. I’m just really happy. Happy tears. Thank you guys,” Halsey said.
Fans praise Halsey as their “bisexual queen”
Viewers of the awards praised Halsey on Twitter for her commitment to LGBT+ representation.
“Big love to @halsey, that bisexual representation in without me really matters and it touched me as bi female sooo much, thank you boo” one person wrote.
Another one tweeted: “@halsey your performance literally moved me to tears so much I had to go outside. The choreography told an equally elaborate story as the song does and it just went together so well. It sent such an amazing message and im so proud of you being a bisexual queen on live tv.”
Fans react to Halsey performing “Without Me” with a same-sex choreography at Billboards Music Awards. (smittenjin/Twitter)
Another viewer shared their emotional response to the performance: “IM CRYING OVER @halsey PERFORMANCE. I LOVE MY BISEXUAL QUEEN.”
A Twitter user highlighted the importance of the same-sex performance sharing a personal anecdote: “my mom and brother just said so much shit about @halsey’s performance but i found it very validating as someone who is also bisexual to see this on national tv. so thank u but no thank u for any negative comments about her performance.”
Another social media user wrote: “the first b in bbma stands for bisexual. thanks, @halsey.”
And yet another fan reacted: “Halsey our bisexual queen SLAYED.”
Halsey performance with BTS hailed as “bisexual rights”
Halsey’s performance with BTS also pleased bisexual fans.
“HALSEY JUST DANCED SO POWERFULLY WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AND LATER ON SHE’S GONNA DANCE POWERFULLY (in a different way) WITH 7 BEAUTIFUL MEN. IF THAT ISN’T MOTHERF***ING BISEXUAL CULTURE” one person wrote.
A BTS fan described why their collaboration mattered “I just want to say this… the way bts is close friends with halsey is really comforting me, the seven boys i love accepts her, a bisexual. im not great at expressing myself in english but really, im just so happy im so glad my boys accepts us i feel so valid.”
One particular moment in the “Boy With Luv” choreography, where Halsey and Jin air kiss a red rose, was singled out as as “bisexual culture.”
This is what I call ‘bisexual culture’ #BTSxBBMAs #Halsey #JIN pic.twitter.com/A9kkFNSfwJ
— Seokjinie ♡ || ʲᵘˡᵉˢ ᶦⁿ ʷᵉᵐᵇˡᵉʸ (@mochicatj) May 2, 2019
“DUDE I WANT TO BE THAT ROSE, BISEXUAL CULTURE” one person commented.
“JIN AND HALSEY SAID BISEXUAL RIGHTS” another person tweeted, republishing a backstage picture of the singers holding the rose.
One Twitter user summed the night’s LGBT+ highlights, writing: “halsey performed for the gays. imagine dragons gave a shout out to the gays. seokjin gay. bbmas confirmed gays only event.”
