Hailee Steinfeld talks about new music, directorial debut with 'I love You's'

Hailee Steinfeld recently released a new upbeat song titled “I Love You's,” which is inspired by Annie Lennox’s 1995 hit “No More I Love You's.”

The track is the lead single from Steinfeld’s upcoming two-part project, with the remainder of the first installment to be unveiled on May 1.

In a virtual press conference on Wednesday, the multi-platinum recording artist talked more about her new song and the message she wants to convey.

“I do think that with my current single ‘I Love You's,’ there’s such a strong message of self-love which seems to be a recurring theme in my music,” she began.

“I think 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 needed and that wasn’t such a bad thing. I think sometimes the idea of being alone can be daunting or not necessarily desirable for some people. I was in a certain situation where that was like the last thing I wanted. But I knew it’s what I needed,” she added.

Aside from the message of the song, “I Love You's” is also special for the “Pitch Perfect” actress because she is making her directorial debut with its music video.

“When it came to making the video for ‘I Love You's,’ we actually had a version of the video that didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to. When the time came to doing it the second time, I figured out I’d throw my hat in and make it happen and sort of just execute my vision the best I could. I did it with the help of Sarah McColgan who is amazing and we were just on the same page,” she said.

In addition to having her “two worlds collide” when making music videos, Steinfeld said she also got to enjoy wearing beautiful outfits when she filmed it.



“Somehow, with all of the outfits that I’ve tried on, we ended up getting all of my favorites in the video. I don’t know about a favorite from the video because they were all in there. But we did have this incredible moment with this Valentino and Versace look which I love so much.

“I always knew that the video would be black and white so it was important that each look was bold and it was more about the texture and the pattern rather than the colors. That one, I’ve always felt it stood out to me the most in the fitting room, on the rack and on the day of the video and, of course, in the video,” she said.

Meanwhile, Steinfeld shared what it is like to release new music during trying times like today.

“You know I always say and I really do believe that music has such a unique ability to connect people and bring people joy. As a fan of music, I am always looking for my favorite artist to put new tunes out. As strange as it feels to be putting music out, it almost feels like it’s the right thing to do because I think it continues to connect people,” she said. 

The singer, however, admitted that being in quarantine like most people now has and hasn’t been beneficial to her, creatively speaking.

“I have days where I wake up and I feel like, wow I’ve got nothing but time. There’s so much freedom in that thought, not having to be anywhere at a certain time. But there’s also part of me that wakes up, nowhere to go and it feels like I don’t know what to do with myself. I normally always have somewhere to be. It’s been an adjustment but I’ve been trying my best to stay creative,” she said.

Like other artists, Steinfeld said she still feels fortunate to be doing something she loves even if it means overcoming struggles along the way.

“I think all of us know we’ve got to climb some hills to get to the top. That’s not always fun, that’s not always pretty, it’s not always exciting. Sometimes, I would question why I’m doing this sort of things and I know that it’s to get to the top of that one hill. I’m constantly reminding myself of that. There’s no denying that there are parts to this that I don’t love, but I do it for an ultimate reason and that’s what keeps me going,” she said.

To end the press conference, Steinfeld said she couldn’t wait to “celebrate music and celebrate life” again with everyone when everything goes back to normal.

Addressing her Filipino fans, she said: “I love you guys so, so much truly from the bottom of my heart and I miss you all. I cannot wait till we hopefully all recover from this very soon and get to be in one room, listening to music, celebrating music, celebrating life, celebrating each other. Stay safe everyone. I hope I get to see you soon.”

news.abs-cbn.com

Apple TV+ gives US poet Dickinson a 21st century reboot

NEW YORK, United States—Apple's new streaming service is taking a 21st century look at the life of 19th century poet Emily Dickinson in hopes it will strike a chord with America's youth.

The series, simply called "Dickinson," stars 22-year-old actress Hailee Steinfeld in the leading role, and hums with updated language and music by teen idol Billie Eilish and rapper Travis Scott. 

"It's a great opportunity for younger people to look at Emily Dickinson's life and work in a very new way and a modern way," said Jane Krakowski, who plays the poet's mother.

"If we could do all history this way, I think kids would love history in school," she added during a panel discussion with reporters in New York this month.

The series lands on Friday when Apple TV+, the giant's new subscription service, goes online.

Apple is not the first broadcaster to tackle the enigmatic life of Dickinson, who only became famous after her death in 1886 at age 55.

"A Quiet Passion" hit movie screens in 2016 and "Wild Nights with Emily" came out in 2018. Both received glowing reviews but failed to connect with viewers at the box office.

The new Apple series, created by Alena Smith, takes a rather unique approach. 

The black comedy focuses on Dickinson's rebellious youth during an upbringing in a conventional middle-class New England household.

While the costumes and props make it look like a period drama, some of the slang used in conversation and popular music is distinctly modern.

"I see this as a coming-of-age story about a young radical artist who was ahead of her time," said Smith.

"I use modern language and modern music to show the way Emily's inner consciousness is bursting at the seams against the corseted repressive rules and norms of the 19th century that she's living in."


'APPLE TAKING RISK'

Steinfeld first gained attention in Hollywood about a decade ago, when she earned an Oscar nomination for her work opposite Jeff Bridges in a reboot of "True Grit."

But the target audience for "Dickinson" -- teens and young adults -- will know her from her roles in the "Pitch Perfect" films and the action movie "Bumblebee," part of the "Transformers" franchise.

"It's an incredibly contemporary story for young people because it's about a young queer poet wondering if there's space for her in the world," said Anna Baryshnikov, who plays Dickinson's sister Lavinia.

"Dickinson" focuses heavily on the protagonist's passionate relationship with her sister-in-law Susan Gilbert. 

Although there has never been any clear evidence of an affair, many experts suspect their relationship was more than just friendship.

With its mischievous tone and digressions, the series strives to reflect the richness of Dickinson's inner world to overcome what appears on the outside to be a monotonous existence. 

The poet spent almost her entire life in the family home, with little outside relief. She sought solace in poetry; the majority of her more than 1,000 poems were published after she died.

Apple TV+ is one of several new on-demand streaming platforms launching in the coming months to take on the might of Netflix and Amazon Prime. 

The surge in the number of services is providing fertile ground for unconventional series such as "Dickinson," its creators and cast say.

"I'm so grateful that Apple is taking this real risk. Because the space is so saturated right now, it leaves room for people to try things," said Baryshnikov.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

WATCH: Fil-Am actress Hailee Steinfeld's debut single 'Love Myself'

HOLLYWOOD – Filipino-American actress Hailee Steinfeld's latest Hollywood project is her debut single "Love Myself."

In 'Love Myself,' Steinfeld proves that she’s all in when it comes to her musical aspirations.

The Oscar nominee turned pop star recently signed a deal with Republic Records which will produce her first album.

The 18-year-old actress-singer is also a co-writer for this project.

Steinfeld was part of the mega-hit film "Pitch Perfect 2" which boasts of a musically talented cast that included Anna Kendrick.

After her Oscar nomination for "True Grit," the Fil-Am actress -- who just recently finished high school -- went full-blast with her Hollywood career, and is in several movies this year including a lead role in "Barely Lethal."

Steinfeld will be seen next in the action-drama "The Keeping room."

The film tells the story of three women fighting against vicious attackers during the civil war.

Read more on Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com