Betty Who is a 26-year-old Australian singer-songwriter best known for her infectious dance songs. Her singles “Human Touch,” “Somebody Loves You” and “I Love You Always Forever” have all hit No. 1 on the U.S. Dance charts.
Who also opened the Australian leg of Katy Perry’s “Prismatic World Tour” and Kylie Minogue’s “Kiss Me Once Tour,” as well as headlined her own worldwide tours in 2015 and 2017.
The artist has been on fire in 2018, releasing her latest EP,”Betty, Pt. 1,” in June. It was her first new release since breaking away from her record label RCA and becoming an independent artist with Kobalt.
“I knew I wanted to [put a full album out] but didn’t have enough material to do it yet,” Who said in a recent interview with LA Weekly.”I didn’t feel I was ready for an album yet, so I figured putting an EP out was a way to sort of check the waters and see what worked and didn’t work. I felt like I had a renewed sense of excitement and inspiration.”
Who became the voice of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” reboot with “All Things (Just Keep Getting Better),” the popular show’s opening theme. She also contributed to the soundtrack of the Netflix film “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.”
Who continues her red hot year with a headlining concert at the Come Out With Pride (COWP) festival at Lake Eola Park on Orlando Oct. 13 where she will perform on the brand new Pride Stage. Who, an LGBTQ ally, has performed at many Pride festivals and parades worldwide.
Who spoke with Watermark ahead of the Pride-filled concert about what we can expect from her COWP performance, her music career and how the LGBTQ community plays a prominent part in her professional and personal life.
WATERMARK: Why do you feel it’s important to be a part of Pride festivals like Come Out With Pride?
WHO: It’s an honor for me to be able to share in a celebration of humans, people who are wanting to celebrate themselves just because that’s who they are. It’s nice for me to be a part of that. It’s so fun to watch people kind of find themselves and be okay with who they really are.
What are you most looking forward to about performing at Come Out With Pride?
I think what I am most looking forward to is the weather. I also have friends who live in Florida and I’m always excited to see and hang out with them. I always have a good time when I’m there.
What should people expect from your performance?
A lot of energy, a lot of dancing and hopefully just a really good time. Hopefully we’ll finish the set and you’ll be sweating just as much as we are.
Are there any moments with your fans that stand out at these Pride festivals?
I love when people come in costume and when people get all dressed up. I think a high for me is when someone in the crowd is dressed up like me from one of my music videos, and I get to look out and see them dancing.
Besides the Pride festivals, how have you been involved in the LGBTQ community?
My fan base is largely LGBTQ and I grew up in the LGBTQ community. My closest friends and closest family have been in the LGBTQ community. I feel like I have connected so deeply with the entire community and I really found help there. When I was questioning who I was when I was a lot younger, I really had a place there and I felt like that has kind of shaped my entire life.
You identify as a straight cisgender woman. What do you think it is about your music that appeals to the LGBTQ community?
I think it’s that I make pop music and I think that by large the LGBTQ community has been large supporters of pop music. I think as far as pop music goes, the LGBTQ community generally hops on it first. The first time I ever played a show in New York like 80 gay men were in the room and I was like, “Oh, I can’t believe this is happening right now. This is so great.”
Do you remember that moment you knew you wanted to be a singer?
I think I wanted to be a singer my whole life. I remember that when I was like four years old I was singing on a plane thinking that nobody could hear me because I had headphones on. My mom had to keep being like, “Listen, you have to be quiet now” [laughs]. So I think there was always a part of me that wanted to be a performer and to do this for a living.
Who are some of your favorite musical artists that inspire you?
I grew up with my mom listening to a lot of Carole King and Joni Mitchell, and my dad would listen to a lot of Sting. So I think those artists were really important to me when I was growing up, but then once I became a teenager Usher and Michael Jackson really made their way into my world. I also really love Sara Bareilles and John Mayer. They were these types of songwriters who have really raw and emotional songs that felt sort of like they had been pulled off a page from their diary. I think that inspired me a lot.
Your music videos for “I Love You Always Forever” and the remixed version of “All Things” for “Queer Eye” feature LGBTQ imagery and same-sex couples. Will you continue to do so on your future projects?
I hope so. I intend to. It’s always a pleasure to be brought in on projects that have such a large gay following. I was really honored to be brought in, especially on the Netflix projects. I had the best time ever and I’m just like, “I can’t believe you guys asked me to do this. This is so cool!”
You recently left RCA to become an independent artist. What are you most excited for in this new chapter?
I am just excited about the new music I’m making. I’m finishing up a new album right now and I think that the album is some of my favorite music that I ever made. I’m just excited to share that with my fans and hopefully show people what I can do.
There is always that misconception when you’re signed to a label that they have something to do with how you sound or the music that you make, and for some artists that is true, but it never was for me. I know a lot of artists who that’s also not true for. I think I’m just ready to stake my claim to who I really am. It feels like a second coming out.
If you could give your LGBTQ fans one message, what would you tell them?
The thing that I have said to a couple of my LGBTQ fans before when I felt like they really needed to hear it was,”You are really important and really loved.” Even if you have people in your life right now that are making you feel like you’re less than, and you feel like you can’t find somebody who speaks to you or hears you or gets who you are.There are people in the world that absolutely do and will absolutely be there for you.
Betty Who headlines the brand new Pride Stage at the Come Out With Pride festival in Orlando’s Lake Eola Park Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.