Who is Betty Who, you ask? Betty Who is a Sydney-born pop star with a lot going on, that’s who.
The Australian singer-songwriter really needs little introduction, though. As Betty Who, Jessica Newham has scored big hits like “Somebody Loves You”, which topped Billboard’s Dance Club Songs Chart.
From there, it was an upward trajectory. Her debut album, Take Me When You Go, hit #68 on the Billboard 200, and her single “All of You” scored another #1 on the Dance Club Songs Chart.
In 2017, she left RCA to steer her own course as a proudly independent artist, releasing BIG! in 2022, following her self-titled album in 2019. She even sung for President Obama and hosted her own YouTube cooking show, Bake It With Betty, along the way.
Now, Betty Who is preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Take Me When You Go with a series of intimate acoustic shows across the US (full details here).
“Can’t wait to celebrate the album that started it all… ten years!! 10 YEARS!!!! insane,” she wrote on Instagram this week about her upcoming tour.
Find out more about the pop trailblazer as part of our Get to Know series below.
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How did your artist name come about?
It was the name of a song I wrote as a teenager. When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I didn’t wanna overthink it, so I tried it on for size, and here I am ten years later.
How would you describe your music to your grandma?
Really fun but a little too sexy for your liking.
Tell us about a few of your tracks; their titles, and what they’re about?
Some of my favourites from my album BIG! are, of course, the title track, “BIG” – a song about living into who you were always born to be – and “BLOW OUT MY CANDLE”. “CANDLE” is one of my favourites to perform. It’s energetic and about staying true to your goal and individual path, regardless of if people don’t see it. Build it, and they will come.
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What do you love about your hometown?
Sydney is just so beautiful. The smell of the harbour, the sounds of Oxford Street. Since I’ve lived there, it’s grown so much and become a totally different city. But some things never change, and that feeling I get when I land in Sydney is one of those things.
Career highlight so far?
Singing for and meeting President Obama. He met my parents too – my dad cried.
Fave non-music hobby?
BAKING! I love to bake. Wish I could do it all day, every day.
What’s on your dream rider?
Tea, tequila, and bud light. Lots of beverages.
Dream music collaboration?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Probably writing musicals and walking my dog.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“Slim Shady” by Eminem. Never fails.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Go where the energy is! If you feel a ton of resistance or frustration in one area of your life, stop giving it attention for a while. Try something else. Pick another path. The way will become clear but forcing it will never get you what you want.
What’s one obsession you have that no one would guess after listening to your music?
I am obsessed with BLACKPINK (as aforementioned), but I don’t think you’d listen to my music and think that was what I was listening to the whole time I was making it.
