Halsey for The Voice by Justin Lubin/NBC
Halsey, who appeared as a Battle Round adviser during this season of “The Voice,” took the stage as part of Tuesday’s finale.
Accompanied by dancer and actress Jade Chynoweth, Halsey performed her hit single “Without Me.”
The dramatic, visually stunning performance used intimate dancing to chronicle an emotional, romantic relationship.
While many applauded the performance — and expressed excitement at Chynoweth receiving such a high-profile showcase — some vocal social media users condemned the collaboration as inappropriate.
Attributing the criticism to the performance’s depiction of a same-sex relationship, Halsey offered a response in a Tuesday night Instagram post.
“Lots of people angry because we performed the story of a wlw couple and their emotional journey,” wrote Halsey. “Representation matters. I’m proud I got to put this on so many television screens tonight. Younger me is stoked.”
Halsey also thanked Chynoweth for “being the bombest human being ever and bringing this vision to life.”
(Halsey also defended the performance in a separate Twitter post: “Very proud of the emotional performance i did with @JadeChynoweth on @NBCTheVoice tonight. And also very proud to have pissed off thw [sic] homophobic viewers at home who missed the message. Thanks for watching.”)
In a post of her own, Chynoweth commented on the significance of the performance — and expressed gratitude to Halsey.
“This performance not only changed my life, but will hopefully change many others’,” said Chynoweth. “Thank you so much @iamhalsey for trusting me with your vision and message. It is beyond an honor to share the stage with you and showcase a story of a same sex relationship and the struggles that may come with that.
“You’re such a badass in all spectrums of life and I’m feel so humbled to have been blessed with your spirit. You are not only extremely talented but you are a beautiful person, which is rare especially in the our industry.”