"Modern artist's dilemma": Internet reacts after Halsey disses Ye fka Kanye West before playing 'Tokyo Narita' live

Halsey openly dissed rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, during a recent Back to Badlands tour stop before performing her song Tokyo Narita. She said:

"Alright, we are gonna do this one but it's f**k Kanye, okay?"

Then, Halsey broke into the track. Notably, the song references Kanye's music in its opening lines:

"So we laid down on the floor next to our brand new bed/ Just so we could listen closer to this new Kanye West/ But I can barely hear over the music in my head/ All these 808s and heartbeats bangin' in your chest"

As Halsey dissed Ye, netizens reacted, saying:

"This is a fascinating and powerful solution to a modern artist's dilemma. The song is a beloved part of her history, but a specific lyric has become a moral liability due to another artist's actions. Instead of just not playing it, she performs it while surgically disavowing the problematic part. It's her actively reclaiming her own narrative in real-time, refusing to let her art be a passive endorsement of someone she no longer respects. It's a real-time "death of the author" moment, live on stage."

Internet reactions to Halsey dissing Ye before playing 'Tokyo Narita' live

Pop Base took to its official X (formerly Twitter) page to post a clip of that moment, captioning:

"“Alright we’re gonna do this one but it’s F*** Kanye, okay?”: Halsey before playing ‘Tokyo Narita’ (in which she mentions Kanye West’s music) as a surprise song."

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Fans did not wait long before jumping into the comment section of the X post as they voiced their views about Halsey's viral performance clip. Below are some of their reactions:

"Halsey just turned a song drop into a public roast, and somehow everyone is supposed to clap politely.", noted a netizen.

"Ye dropped Donda on the weekend of her album release and suddenly no one was talking about it.", stated another.

"Halsey definitely didn’t hold back with that one turning a surprise song into a bold statement. The energy must have shifted instantly in the crowd.", commented a third.

Others also chimed in:

"She going viral for saying his name not his concert . One has the most streamed rap album out rn yet it’s almost 20yrs old the other got a doodoo hit from chain smokers and ain’t been seen since lmao. How many Grammys does Halsey have🤨@halsey. This y G eazy cheated", opined an X user.

"They talk a lot when he’s silent but keep their mouth shut when it’s up another irrelevant artist using the goat for social clout for people who don’t care about Halsey's music", wrote another.

"Haha, Halsey has a unique style; surprises are always interesting. Do you enjoy unexpected songs like this at concerts?", asked a third.

Halsey's Back to Badlands Tour officially kicked off on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. The tour celebrates the 10th anniversary of Badlands. The upcoming dates and stops on the run are as follows:

Halsey's North American tour dates

Thursday, October 16, 2025, Los Angeles, CA, at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Ciudad De México, Mexico, at Auditorio BB
Friday, October 24, 2025, Dallas, TX, at The Pavilion
Sunday, October 26, 2025, Atlanta, GA, at Tabernacle
Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Philadelphia, PA, at The Fillmore
Thursday, October 30, 2025, Philadelphia, PA, at The Fillmore
Sunday, November 2, 2025, Boston, MA, at MGM Music Hall
Monday, November 3, 2025, Boston, MA, at MGM Music Hall
Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Washington, DC, at The Anthem
Thursday, November 6, 2025, Minneapolis, MN, at The Armory
Saturday, November 8, 2025, Chicago, IL, at Aragon Ballroom
Sunday, November 9, 2025, Chicago, IL, at Aragon Ballroom
Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Denver, CO, at Mission Ballroom
Thursday, November 13, 2025, Denver, CO, at Mission Ballroom

Hasley's 2025-26 international stops

Thursday, December 11, 2025, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at Banban Grounds (Soundstorm Festival)
Friday, January 9, 2026, Toronto, ON, at Massey Hall
Saturday, January 10, 2026, Toronto, ON, at Massey Hall
Sunday, January 11, 2026, Toronto, ON, at Massey Hall
Tuesday, January 13, 2026, New York, NY, at Radio City Music Hall
Wednesday, January 14, 2026, New York, NY, at Radio City Music Hall
Thursday, January 15, 2026, New York, NY, at Radio City Music Hall
Saturday, January 17, 2026, Detroit, MI, at The Fillmore
Sunday, January 18, 2026, Detroit, MI, at The Fillmore
Thursday, January 22, 2026, Amsterdam, Netherlands, at AFAS Live
Friday, January 23, 2026, Berlin, Germany, at Verti Music Hall
Saturday, January 24, 2026, Dusseldorf, Germany, at Mitsubishi Electric Halle
Monday, January 26, 2026, Paris, France, at L’Olympia
Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Paris, France, at L’Olympia
Thursday, January 29, 2026, Manchester, United Kingdom, at O2 Apollo
Sunday, February 1, 2026, London, United Kingdom, at Eventim Apollo
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, London, United Kingdom, at Eventim Apollo
Wednesday, February 4, 2026, London, United Kingdom, at Eventim Apollo
Friday, February 13, 2026, Moore Park, Australia, at Hordern Pavilion
Saturday, February 14, 2026, Moore Park, Australia, at Hordern Pavilion
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Brisbane, Australia, at Fortitude Music Hall
Thursday, February 19, 2026, West Melbourne, Australia, at Festival Hall
Friday, February 20, 2026, West Melbourne, Australia, at Festival Hall