Halsey Explains Why She Chose to Collaborate With Lauren Jauregui Over Katy Perry

Everyone who’s anyone knows that Halsey and Lauren Jauregui‘s song “Strangers” is incredible (listen here), not just because it’s a catchy song, but also because it carries a powerful message.

The song is a love song to the LGBTQ community and both Halsey and Lauren are bisexual, so the female pronouns in the song matter.

In a new interview, the 22-year-old “Now or Never” singer talks about how her label actually wanted her to record the duet with Katy Perry instead.

“I was like, I’m not putting an artist on this song unless they’re f*ing gay,” she remembered to Vulture.

While Halsey is of course free to record with whoever she wants to, it isn’t totally fair to judge other peoples’ sexualities, which they are figuring out for themselves. Katy has alluded to struggling with her sexuality growing up in a religious household, and she has every right to label — or not label — herself however she chooses to.

We understand and respect Halsey‘s desire to be as true to the LGBTQ community as possible, but speculating on others’ sexualities is not necessary to do so.