Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News / Lifestyle

Music review: Hailee Steinfeld, HAIZ

Kim Gillespie
Kim Gillespie
Editor: NZME Community Publications Network·NZME. regionals·
16 Jan, 2016 05:00 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

Actress Hailee Steinfeld joined in the vocal gymnastics in the capella-singing movie Pitch Perfect 2, so it's not too much of a stretch to see her kicking off a pop career.

HAIZ is Steinfeld's debut release, an EP with four tracks including the single Love Myself (a companion piece to Justin Bieber's Love Yourself?), a dance-pop anthem to self-powerment and/or teenage activities.

Lyrics aside, its shouty backing vocals recall the Naked & Famous song Young Blood, or various cheerleader chants from Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne songs, while the breathy verses are more Selena Gomez territory.

Hell Nos and Headphones is equally catchy, and also speaks to the young and disaffected, with sad lyrics about partying, drugs, alcohol and isolation. It is a more fun song that it sounds (and also addresses self-empowerment), but perhaps the track Rock Bottom is more uplifting ("We're on the right side of rock bottom ... We're on the good side of bad karma cause we keep on coming back for more.)

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And to be fair this EP should have pop fans coming back for more, as Steinfeld's debut album looms.

3.5/5 stars

Discover more

SoundBites: Gin Wigmore, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana

18 Nov 05:00 PM

SoundBites: Tool, Disturbed, Fleetwood Mac

25 Nov 01:00 AM

SoundBites: Six60, 1 Million Women, The Hollies

02 Dec 04:00 PM

SoundBites: Sounds of 2015, Stone Temple Pilots

08 Dec 05:00 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

‘Navigating this transition’: Former All Black Aaron Smith confirms marriage split

07 Nov 02:39 AM
Waikato Herald

'I have to make this mean something': Kiwi diagnosed with brain tumour at 39 turns her trauma into art

06 Nov 07:01 PM
Lifestyle

Lily Allen wrote the Hollywood break-up album of the year. And this Kiwi helped her do it

06 Nov 02:10 AM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

‘Navigating this transition’: Former All Black Aaron Smith confirms marriage split
Lifestyle

‘Navigating this transition’: Former All Black Aaron Smith confirms marriage split

Smith and wife Teagan Voykovich have separated after four years of marriage.

07 Nov 02:39 AM
'I have to make this mean something': Kiwi diagnosed with brain tumour at 39 turns her trauma into art
Waikato Herald

'I have to make this mean something': Kiwi diagnosed with brain tumour at 39 turns her trauma into art

06 Nov 07:01 PM
Lily Allen wrote the Hollywood break-up album of the year. And this Kiwi helped her do it
Lifestyle

Lily Allen wrote the Hollywood break-up album of the year. And this Kiwi helped her do it

06 Nov 02:10 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP