Interview by Wesley Smoot

Todrick Hall, is an actor, singer, dancer, producer, choreographer, broadway star and internet sensation… you may have heard of him. With all of those credits under his belt, he’s hard to miss. This trailblazing talent has given audiences countless YouTube videos, from hilarious parodies to top-notch original tracks with some of the best beats, lyrics, and choreography on the web. We got the chance to sit down with Todrick before his performance at the 40th Annual Black Tie Dinner to spill the tea and even snap some photos of this LGBTQ living legend. Pinkies up, now sip!

Weslo: Todrick, how are you today?

Todrick Hall: I’m fantastic. There’s no place like home. I’m so happy to be back in Texas. I don’t get to spend enough time here, so this is always a treat for me.

Weslo: Fabulous, tonight you’ll be performing in Dallas, Texas at the 40th annual Black Tie Dinner. You’re no stranger to North Texas. Can you tell us about growing up in the area? Did it have any affect on your music or style?

Todrick Hall: I think that every single day I realize just how much I’ve been affected by growing up in Texas, especially growing up in the middle of the bible belt. I claim the Dallas/Fort Worth area to be my hometown but I’m actually from the panhandle of Texas in Plainview which is a tiny town sandwiched between Lubbock and Amarillo. Growing up there, it was very conservative, people were very closed minded.. but I didn’t mind it. I was an only child that had a mom who embraced every part of me, even the quirky odd parts. Growing up I did ballet, theatre and was obsessed with all things Disney or anything musical based, so it was an interesting journey. As I grow older and look back on those experiences I appreciate every moment. Much like the butterfly effect, it has worked to make me the person I am today as an artist and a human being.

Weslo: I love that. Many artists like yourself who achieve this level of success end up in Los Angeles. Why do you think it’s so important to return to your old stomping grounds for events like Black Tie Dinner?

Todrick Hall: For me specifically, for events like Black Tie Dinner and for my tours, I always make sure I make stops in Dallas and do a few other Texas dates around my Dallas date because there are so many kids who should have access to these shows. When you live in a huge metropolitan city like New York, LA, Chicago, Vegas.. you can sometimes forget there are people still living in a bubble of sorts. While that bubble is more progressive than it was when I was growing up here, it is still insane to hear the stories of young queer kids growing up in this area. So everytime I come home it really hits me how much work we’ve done- but also how much more we need to do. There are so many homeless LGBTQ youth. There are kids who want to be performers and entertainers on Broadway. They want to be on television and don’t have parents supporting them, so I’m happy Black Tie is doing what they’re doing in Texas. It’s always bigger and better. It’s one of the biggest and best LGBTQ events in the world and it's right here in my hometown… so when I get asked to come to perform it’s really a no brainer.

Weslo: You started as a YouTube star, became a breakout performer on American Idol, you made a name for yourself on Broadway, and you even had a show on MTV… you seem to be very much a self-made man. Can you speak on your drive and commitment in your early years that got you where you are today?

Todrick Hall: I have to give credit where credit is due. My dance teacher Yvonne Racz was the artistic director at Ballet Lubbock. She was so strict, or what I thought was “so strict”. She prepared me for what to expect in the business. She brought this energy you would find in New York to a small town in Lubbock and raised me with all of the work ethic that I needed to get to the point I’m at now. I think a lot of people go out to the big cities to make a name for themselves but I think it’s really important to remember where you come from and use that foundation to find your voice. Dallas also seems to be a place where theatre, film and television are continuing to expand, giving new artists the opportunity to grow here before they venture out. With all that said, I think talent is important, but it’s nothing without hard work.

Weslo: I completely agree. So, I'm obsessed with your latest video It’s Raining Fellas… Looking back, you started with videos at McDonald’s Drive thrus and Target flash mobs, which while lacking in production value, were all still amazing videos... You now have so many resources to make quality content… What do you miss about those old days? Do you have a favorite of your older youtube videos?

Todrick Hall: Definitely the McDonalds video, my video Beauty and the Beat was so funny, I’m such a huge Disney fan and the energy in the room when me and my fellow friends, all POC’s created it, it was the funniest day ever. The Target flash mob was fun but scary. We didn’t have permits or even permission. I think that’s when things were the most fun, when we were stealing shots everywhere. Also being a social media influencer at that time was such an unknown, uncharted territory for so many people. There really weren’t any ground rules for when someone comes into a place to shoot a viral video. Luckily, it ended up working in my favor and a lot of those opportunities have come back. With Target, we’ve got to work with them and shoot in the store but this time without the adrenaline rush and trying to steal shots. Hahahaha… But those are the first three that come to mind. I will say my video for It gets Better definitely changed my life. I wrote that song because of the Trevor Project and all of the lives lost to suicide from bullying at school or at home. I put that song on iTunes. It was the first song I ever sold. That song resonated with so many people that in the first year I was living in LA, my rent was paid from the downloads and streams of that song specifically. So that song saved a lot of people’s lives, changed a lot of people’s lives, and helped me establish myself to where I could work on my passion full-time.

Weslo: Wow, incredible work. So, I was at a Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium and boom… Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels,... comes on. I see thousands of people moving, just feeling your music. For queer artists like yourself, like Lil Nas X, there seems to be huge waves being made in places that would seem almost unexpected to some. Do you see real progress in how queer music is being accepted in the mainstream. Or in places you wouldn’t expect like football games in Texas?

Todrick Hall: I would be lying if I said that we haven’t made a lot of progress, but in 2021 I haven’t heard a man sing a pronoun related to someone of the same sex. I think there’s been a lot of advancements. I’m so grateful Lil Nas X exists but I want there to be representation on the radio of simple, unapologetic love songs from one man to another using the pronouns, him/his. I think that would shed a lot of light on where we are, what cities would play it, which wouldn’t, where a song like that would chart… I think it would be groundbreaking. As queer people, we’ve got used to being underrepresented and don’t expect that from the radio or mainstream music. I want to start hearing our love songs. I would like when I get married, I don’t have to weed through every song that specifically mentions the pronoun of the person I’m in love with… that I will have a few options of songs that I can play at my wedding that feel created and catered to me.

Weslo: You’ve toured the world with shows like Straight Outta Oz sharing your message of fierce, unapologetic queer realness.... What was it like in cities that come across as less accepting of the LGBTQ community? Did you ever experience any issues with homophobia while touring?

Todrick Hall: Absolutely, even sometimes in Texas. In San Antonio we were in a restaurant and a lady started screaming slurs. I always try to go by the Michelle Obama book of rules, when they go low we go high. I was very proud of how my team, my dancers, my crew, and how everyone handled it. Still, it was very eye opening. We don’t really experience that kind of negativity or discrimination in LA as we might when we’re on tour. Sometimes it can be an unfortunate wake-up call. But really it’s not just in America, we tour all over the world. We’re in Australia, New Zealand, all over Europe and even Asia... We still experience that type of discrimination sometimes differing from city to city. I have so many kids sending me messages and emails, direct messages and tweets saying that their parents won’t let them come support a gay black man. They won’t buy them a ticket or allow them to leave the house. We have had people picket and even riot outside our shows before. It’s been an insane experience but it’s something that reminds me and the team why we're doing what we’re doing. It’s become much bigger than making a fun video for people to dance to. Myself and other queer artists are showing people who really need it that you can be a gay, successful, proud artist who is celebrated is not only important but necessary.

Weslo: In the song FAG, you throw shade on haters who had issues with you being your authentic gay self growing up. Only by being true to yourself have you been able to reach this level of success. Can you speak on why being yourself is so important? Especially for the youngsters out there…

Todrick Hall: I had the privilege of playing the role my mentor Billy Porter played, which was Lola for Kinky Boots on Broadway. It was a life-changing chapter in my life. There’s a line in that show that says, Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. When I was learning the lines, I was basically trying to put them in my memory like a computer chip and then one day I said the line and it clicked. That one line had so much power to me. I think we as humans are taught to conform but I think that embracing the things that make you different was hard for me, but everytime I did it, it’s what helped me stand out.

Weslo: You have worked with so much celebrity talent including Ru Paul and a myriad of fabulous queens… Spill the tea..., if you could collaborate with any musical artist, who would it be?

Todrick Hall: I’ve worked with Beyonce already but she’ll always be at the top of my list. I love Cardi B, I think she’s hilarious. I've loved Nicky Minaj since Super Bass and Starship days so I’d love to work with her. I just think she’s iconic and no one can do what she does. I would love to do a song with Taylor Swift even though we’re really great friends. I hope one day it makes sense for us to do a song together that only she and I can do. That would be really fun. I’m a huge Nicole Richie fan, I know she doesn’t do music, I’ve never met her. She’s probably the one person on the planet I would fangirl over if I met her.

Weslo: Any new music coming out we Should be looking out for? I’m already excited about The Femuline Tour.

Todrick Hall: I have been in the studio non-stop making bops for my fans. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that next year, 2022 will be the most music and visuals people have ever gotten from me as far as personal music as an artist. I’m really excited about the next chapter and era of Todrick and I think next year is going to be a huge game changer for me and my team.

For more information on The Femuline Tour visit: www.todrickhall.com

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