Halsey Praises Woodstock Lineup After It Receives Backlash
By Katrina Nattress
March 23, 2019
When Woodstock 50 announced its lineup on Tuesday night (March 19), it was received with mixed feelings. With artists like The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Santana, The Lumineers, The Raconteurs, Dead & Company, Chance The Rapper, The Black Keys, Sturgill Simpson, Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Halsey and Cage the Elephant listed as headliners for the three-day festival there truly is something for everyone, which is exactly what co-creator Michael Lang was going for; however, the multi-generational, eclectic lineup struck a nerve with some purists who believe Woodstock should be exclusively for rock acts.
A couple days after the announcement, Halsey took to Twitter to address the backlash and show her appreciation for being part of the 50th anniversary celebration. "The Woodstock lineup seems to be a bit divisive," she wrote. "but I am very honored to be included in a lineup of artists who all appear to be constantly influencing culture or representing social activism. Using their voices. That’s Woodstock to me I’m honored and I can’t wait!"
Woodstock 50 is slated to go down August 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York, which is about three hours from the original 1969 site. Check out Halsey's positive tweets, as well as some of the backlash, below.
The Woodstock lineup seems to be a bit divisive. but I am very honored to be included in a lineup of artists who all appear to be constantly influencing culture or representing social activism. Using their voices. That’s Woodstock to me 🌻 I’m honored and I can’t wait.
— h (@halsey) March 21, 2019
woodstock ‘69: janis joplin, the who, grateful dead, jimi hendrix
— gen dietzel ⚢ (@gendietzel) March 20, 2019
woodstock ‘19: jay-z, akon, imagine dragons, halsey
not to sound like a dinosaur but where is the taste?? why aren’t y’all actually paying homage to how important woodstock was in music + politics??
the Woodstock 50 lineup looks like it was curated by someone who's only exposure to music has been through the Grammy's "Best Rock Performance" category between 2010-2013
— bianca davino (@biancccadavino) March 20, 2019
Stop saying people can’t be mad about the Woodstock lineup. There’s 58492738 other music festivals where rap, r&b & pop artists can perform. The whole point of Woodstock was to keep it in folk & rock roots.
— 𝓫𝓻𝓲 ✰ (@simpIyqueen) March 20, 2019
Woodstock ‘99: I’m the worst festival reboot of all time
— altered reality perception (@ARPdid911) March 19, 2019
Woodstock 50: hold my beer pic.twitter.com/SJxY7XNafF
Photo: Getty Images