Welcome to Teenlionaire. Today, we have Hali’a Beamer @haliabeamer —the beautiful muser who rose to fame thanks to her talent showcased on the Internet… From YouTube to musical.ly to Instagram, she has accumulated millions of devoted followers, who constantly love what she does: singing chart-topping songs and doing justice to them, and also showing how to do DIY slimes (what’s up with this, anyway?)… Born and bred on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Hali’a is widely known to have an offbeat, entertaining, and organic personality—which is an attractive addition to her talent… First, Hali’a, what was it like growing up in The Gathering Place? Talk about the unforgettable memories, the family, the friends, the neighborhood, and everything in-between…
Aloha! Thank you for this opportunity! I never thought I’d actually be doing any of this especially growing up on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
To answer your first question, “what was it like growing up in The Gathering Place?”, I will say, there is nothing like it. I feel so fortunate to have been born and raised on Oahu surrounded by family, friends and of course, the ocean! People call it the melting pot because there are so many ethnicities here and so many of them are intertwined. My background is, Irish, English, Hawaiian, Filipino, German and a little bit of Chinese. Sort of like a mash-mash of a little bit of everything. I love all the different traditions, cultural foods and languages here. The mix of people makes life interesting and fun. From the time I can remember, my grandpa would take me out on his boat and we would jump off into the water right off of Waikiki and swim. My brothers and I always got to bring friends with us so some of my favorite memories with friends are of this. My family is the most important part of my life in Hawaii. They were all born and raised here and the cool thing about growing up on an Island is, you get to know so many people who can tell you stories of grandparents and family from before you were born. My Dad’s family goes back 6 generations in Hawaii and are well known for Music, hula and entertaining. My great, great grandma used to even dance hula for the Queen of Hawaii when she was a little girl. It still amazes me when I hear stories about life before Hawaii was even a State! My mom’s side of the family have been involved in business here for years and I am hoping to learn more about how to run one when I get a little older. My mom and both grandmas were educators in the public school system. I think my family is really well-rounded and diverse which gives me some interesting perspectives and has taught me to be very accepting of others who are different from me. This is so evident if you look at my friends. They are all from different backgrounds, ethnicities and economic status, which makes me so much richer when I am hanging out with them. I love living here because I go to the beach every chance I get. When I travel, I think I miss going to the beach with my friends the most and always am happy to get back home.
…. Obviously, musical.ly is the platform that brought you most of this fame. How exactly did you discover this social media app?
I used to just play around on my phone and I saw a challenge on Musical.ly called the Don’t Judge Me Challenge, and I tried it. From there it just kind of kept going. My parents had no idea I was actually getting a following because I only showed them a few of the videos I did and they thought I just filmed myself on my phone for fun. I already had about 100,000 followers when they actually figured out what was going on! I also was making my own YouTube videos and posting on Instagram. Then, my mom made sure she checked all the DMs and blocked and reported any creeps and made sure I was being safe on it. That’s kind of how it started and now, I am amazed how many people followed me. I still am surprised at times that people like what I do. The first time we were in LA, my mom and I went to Knotts Berry Farm and people were looking at me, then looking at their phones, then whispering to each other and I couldn’t figure out why. Then they asked my mom if I was Hali’a from Musical.ly. We were both shocked that anyone even knew who I was. It’s always fun now to meet fans and take pictures with them. I have the best fandom cuz they are super supportive and so cute! In the end, I’m just being me. It’s a good lesson for others to be yourself too. You do it better than anyone!
So far, you’ve worked on songs by Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, Future, and many more… I have two questions here. One, how do you know the perfect songs to sing? Two, which of the artistes would you be blown away to meet?
To figure out what songs I want to do, I sometimes see what is trending, and other times, I just find a song that sounds fun and has a good beat. I would get inspired by some of my friends on Musical.ly or by other musers and do my own take of the video they did. I have a quirky side so I will do comedy and make a fool of myself too. If you can’t laugh at yourself and show people you aren’t perfect, then you aren’t real. I have moments where I get serious and try hard to convey a feeling, and then I get in the mood to dance. It’s funny to me that people take my so-called belly dancing videos in so many different ways. Some people tell me I’m too young or it’s inappropriate for my age, and then some ask me how to do it. Really, I am just having fun enjoying being young and loving the music. Everyone should feel that way! I rarely read the comments because people get really nasty with their opinions. I see it on so so many accounts and it says more about the person commenting than about the person they are talking about. I think anyone who has the confidence to put themselves out there for millions of people to see, knows the risk of doing so. Kids can be awful, but what I tell them is to learn to feel sorry for the haters cuz they must be very unhappy people to have to make others feel bad. There is enough hate in the world, why spread more? Rant over… haha. As far as which artist I would be blown away by meeting, I think I would say Billie Eilish right now. I love her style of music and her personality. She seems so real and down to earth. I would also like meeting Cardi-B or Nicki Minaj cuz I love their music. Maybe one day…
Hmm… Last year, you were recruited by a talent manager and signed a contract with an agency. What should your fans know about these two accomplishments—and are there more we haven’t heard of?
Ooooh you are asking about my manager. I think I drive her crazy! I have a stubborn streak, plus my mom says I’m a crazy teenager with all the moodiness. My manager is so awesome! I love her so much! I had another manager before her and I just felt like I was being pushed in a direction I didn’t want to go in without any say in it. I wish nothing bad for him, but it just felt wrong for me. So when I met my new manager, I felt really lucky. I can honestly say she is one of the most supportive, caring people I have ever met. She puts my feelings and my best interest above all else. Of course there are things I have to do that I don’t always find fun, but that is part of the business. And she reminds me of it all the time. I don’t know if she wants me mentioning her name because she is very humble and low key. I never really thought of it as a big accomplishment to be signed, but I do feel fortunate and thankful I was chosen by her to join her team. We have some amazing talent on the team and we are doing some really exciting things! She has got me doing some modeling and recording so it’s gonna be an interesting ride…
The latest update is that you’re planning to release some music soon… The idea of original music from a talented muser like you got many people talking… Personally, I’d like to hear you rap…but what should we be expecting and when should we be expecting these songs?
Okay, I guess I can finally let the cat out of the bag…I recorded some original songs! It’s not something I have been able to talk about until now. I have such a talented team of people backing me up that I feel good about what is to come. I was really nervous at first because I am known for lip-synching other people’s songs which people have said is not a talent. Other musers have put out music already and some have done better than others, but I admire all of them for trying. I am hoping that my family’s musical genes were passed down and people enjoy it. I am sure it won’t appeal to everyone and that’s just part of life, but I know I have a good team surrounding me and have got their support. My style is not really rap, although I love it, and would maybe like to try it. It is more of the trap style. And I had so much fun doing it. My first song, called “Wait a Minute”, is a little different than the next ones coming out. The others really are going to be an expression of myself. The writer of the songs really understands me and I feel like he looked in my heart and got it perfect! I can’t wait to see how it all comes out. At this time, I already have my first music video done and was impressed with how they edited it and got it finished. I had no idea how it would look, but I am happy with it and hope everyone else appreciates it too. My first song will be out in September, so please go listen to it. I hope you enjoy it!
Apart from music, I learned you’re also into modeling, gymnastics, tennis, arts, and—of course—the ocean. Tell me more about these activities…and are you planning to go pro with any of them?
Yes, I have lots of other interests besides the social media world. I love gymnastics and was focused on it and had so much fun being involved in the sport, but my traveling and schedule made it difficult to continue. I can do back flips and aerials and I would love to go back. Modeling is fun and I enjoy doing it when I get the call. Especially I like the photoshoots and seeing what they do with my make up and hair. My dad is a tennis coach and he and my uncles grew up playing in tournaments all the time, so my dad makes me get out on the court as often as he can. It’s not my favorite thing, but it’s good exercise and it’s fun to whack the ball and get out my aggression sometimes! Both my grandmas love art and painting and crafts, but the extent of my creativity is limited. My oldest brother got the creative gene though! He has a fine arts degree and creates huge murals on the sides of buildings. He even did one of my brother Kana’i and I on a moped with a dog chasing us. He is also a great tattoo artist now. My other brother does tiling and is a great cook, which both require some creativity too. But my brother right above me and I are into sports and doing more physical stuff. I guess I’m creative in other ways, but I don’t have the patience to do the kind of art they do. I am not disciplined enough to go pro in any of these things and I don’t put in the time they require to do that. I’d rather just go to the beach!! Haha! There it is again… my happy place! I love going to Waimea Bay and jumping off the rock there, or going to Waikiki to a place called Walls and swimming there with friends. Toes in the sand and salt water in my hair and I am a happy girl!
Your birth name is Nou O’u Hali’a Pono’i Alex Beamer, which is quite unique—I’ve never heard it and I absolutely love it… Tell me more about this name: the meaning, how you got it, and any other detail that’d interest all your fans out there.
My name is special to me because it was given to me by some of my favorite people. Because I am Hawaiian, My grandpa, Keola Beamer, uncle Mahi Beamer and uncle Robert Cazimero all worked together to come up with my name. My parents liked the name Hali’a which means “Sudden remembrance” but were told that it wasn’t a strong enough name to stand alone. It had to be combined with something else so they talked about and researched it. They came up with Nou o’u Hali’a Pono’i which means, “I give to you all my cherished memories”. It’s so funny to hear people try to pronounce it! Luckily, they can say Hali’a pretty well, although they butcher it occasionally. It makes me laugh to hear all the different pronunciations of it. One of my first Youtube videos got a lot of funny comments when I said, “It’s pronounced Ha-lee-uh!” Pretty simple when you know how.. Alex is the English version of my Dad’s name, Alika. My mom liked Alex so they added that to the rest. Beamer, my last name, is kind of well known in the islands because of my grandparents, and cousins being in the entertainment business. If you like Hawaiian music, there are lots of Beamers to listen to! Hopefully, I will be added to the list of Beamers in the music industry too.
Lastly, a beauty tip from Hali’a Beamer…
A beauty tip….hmmmm. I think the best tip I can give is to let your natural beauty shine through. It’s fun to wear make up occasionally, but I think people are so much prettier when they are wearing a smile and no makeup. It’s about confidence, liking yourself, knowing who you are and being comfortable with it. Also, understanding that you are perfect the way you are. If someone else doesn’t think so, that sounds like a “them” problem! Young girls especially need to see this because tv, magazines, movies, commercials and social media is sending the wrong messages to young people. Messy hair, the occasional pimple, clothes that don’t cost a fortune, this is the real world. The sooner young people learn it’s okay to be perfectly imperfect, the better off we will all be and we can make each other feel good about what’s inside. My mom always tells me, “Pretty inside makes you pretty outside.” I agree. There are lots of beautiful people out there!
Credits:
photos by Allison Heine
