5 things you need to know about Halle Bailey, Disney’s new Little Mermaid
The 19-year-old and her sister, Chloe make up the R&B duo, Chloe x Halle who were discovered by Beyoncé
Halle Bailey was recently announced as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. She excitedly posted a fan drawing with the caption “dream come true … #littlemermaid” on her Instagram.
So who is the 19-year-old singer, songwriter and actress? For starters, she’s not to be confused with Halle Berry, which is who a lot of people thought Disney had cast as Ariel.
The Atlanta, Georgia native, who was raised in Los Angeles, has been on the scene since she was a preteen. From having amazing pipes, to being a talented actress, owning runways and slaying Halloween, here are five facts that shed more light on the young woman behind one of Disney’s most alluring princesses.
She’s musically gifted
Halle is the other half of the contemporary R&B duo, Chloe x Halle together with her older sister Chloe. The two started out at the age of 13 and 11, performing covers on their YouTube channel before they were discovered by Beyoncé. She signed them to her management company, Parkwood Entertainment, and their debut album, Sugar Symphony was released in 2016.
Both take active roles in the producing, writing and vocals. Halle is also self-taught on the guitar. They have had their songs featured on Grown-ish, Little and A Wrinkle In Time, performing at Super Bowl LIII, and in 2019 received their first Grammy nominations.
Although she is the younger of the two, Halle holds her own on vocals. She told Rolling Stone that she is a big fan of jazz and has been listening to Billie Holiday since she was five. You can hear the maturity and passion in her vocals.
Beyoncé is her mentor