Chlöe Bailey Reveals Which Groundbreaking Black Artists Inspired Her

Chlöe Bailey, 25, is best known for her work in the music industry. She gained popularity as half of the duo Chlöe x Halle alongside her sister Halle Bailey.

The duo was discovered by Beyoncé after their YouTube covers caught her attention, and Beyoncé's management company, Parkwood Entertainment, almost immediately signed them. They later released their debut EP, "Sugar Symphony," in 2016.

As Chlöe Bailey's popularity continues to grow and as she gears up to release her second album, the young artist is revealing more about her inspirations and the icons who have shaped her journey.

When speaking to NYLON, Chloë opened up about her upcoming album, "Trouble In Paradise," a project that is "a coming-of-age celebration of being a woman and having fun, not taking life too seriously."

"The story of this album is like when you have a summer fling," Chloë told the outlet of her sophomore album. "You're a hopeless romantic and you fall in love, deep. You know it won't last forever, but it feels too good to really care."

When working on the project, the 25-year-old looked to some of the groundbreaking Black artists she has looked to for inspiration over the years.

Not only has her mentor, "Single Ladies" artist Beyoncé, had a huge influence on her life, but the late Whitney Houston has also shaped her to be the woman she is today.

"Early on in [Houston's] career, when she was doing the big pop records, she got a lot of flak for that: being told she wasn't Black enough and wasn't catering to the base that made her," Chloë told the outlet. "To see how she persevered and has become one of the most iconic, legendary artists that we've ever seen, shows that music has no race, it has no genre, it has none of that."

"It's just a feeling and it's a vibration. And that's why I was really proud of Beyoncé doing 'Cowboy Carter,'" Chloë added of the artist's new country album. "Because Black people originated country music. It's just showing that possibilities are endless."

Of course, when someone says Chlöe's name, they often think of her sister, Halle, who just played the groundbreaking role of Ariel in the live-action version of "The Little Mermaid."

“I'm really grateful to have grown up in this industry with my sister because it’s like a built-in sisterhood [mindset], but healthy competition is amazing,” she said of her relationship with Halle and of the other female artists who are having successful careers. “It pushes you. It allows you to become better. It’s OK to celebrate other incredible women and also be like, ‘I’ve got to step my game up!’”

The competition keeps the duo on their toes because if there wasn't any competition “then that’s boring, number one, and number two, that means there’s nothing exciting [in pop music], so I think it’s good,” she told the outlet. “Plus, I grew up running track. I’m a very competitive person.”

Chlöe Bailey has recently gained even more attention for her solo work, including the release of singles like "Have Mercy," which showcases her vocals and confidence on stage. The 25-year-old continues to be a rising star, following in her sister's footsteps and moving into the film industry.

The 25-year-old is set to star alongside Russell Crowe in Joshua John Miller’s psychological movie The Exorcism. While she was excited to be part of the project, she was dreading filming one scene.

“I was stressed about the possession scene,” she told theGrio. “I was talking about it every day until I had to [film] it because I didn’t know how it would turn out. I didn’t know how I’d feel. I prayed every day before set. I had my sage.”

But in the end, filming the movie was a great experience, for Chloe  who told the outlet she had an "amazing time on set."

“We’d be laughing at the fake blood,” the singer recalled. “There was a big pool of fake blood that was literally a plastic sheet of red. So being able to see the behind-the-scenes of how the scary movies pull it off, it kind of made it a little less scary for me.”

“The Exorcism” hit theaters everywhere on Friday, June 21.