Dickinson’s Hailee Steinfeld is one of the most underrated celebrities of the year
This year blessed us with many things — most recently, two new streaming services in Disney Plus and Apple TV+. But Hailee Steinfeld and her role in Dickinson were the best gifts of all.
While Disney Plus is praised for its nostalgia, Apple TV+ not only brings us original series, but it packs them with star-studded casts. Most of the platform’s advertising is centered around The Morning Show (Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carrell, Reese Witherspoon), but the real breakout series for our generation is Dickinson — a black-comedy period piece that manages to put a modern spin on the life its namesake, legendary American poet Emily Dickinson.
The soundtrack furthers Dickinson’s ingenuity with music from the likes of Billie Eilish, A$AP Rocky, and the Dickinson-incarnate herself, Hailee Steinfeld. A multi-hyphenate, this project has Steinfeld balancing more titles than her usual singer/songwriter-actress: Dickinson is Steinfeld’s first foray into the world of executive producing. It’s also her first long-term take at a television project.
Her original song “Afterlife” is probably her best yet. Steinfeld wrote a shell of the song before Dickinson started production, and revisited it when she was approached to contribute to the project musically. As if the song doesn’t speak for itself, the video is an aesthetic treat of its own.
However, one can gain a full appreciation for the song and music video after watching Dickinson in its entirety. Queen Hailee takes cues from the depths of her show’s imagery, literally tipping her hat to the societal constraints of women — both then and now.
Listen to Hailee Steinfeld’s “Afterlife” here:
Unlike most shows (which require a pilot to be shot before being picked up for a full season’s production), Steinfeld’s project was given a straight-to-series order by Apple. It was renewed for a second season almost immediately following the release of its first season when the Apple TV+ platform launched on November 1.
But rumors still abound. These rumors marvel at the idea of Steinfeld entering the world of Marvel. Sources say that Steinfeld has been offered the leading role of Kate Bishop in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye. It was a common question during the Dickinson press tour and premiere event, but she has remained tight-lipped about the whole thing.
One can see the contractual conundrum. Being that Dickinson‘s second season is now well into production, the red tape to simultaneously star in a series via a competitor’s streaming service is quite sticky and could pose some complications. But the idea of this should make us happy.
In recent years, it was clear that streaming was the future. Now it is the future, and streaming is the future. True to her own embodiment of Emily Dickinson, Steinfeld has once again proven she’s all about breaking traditional barriers. She’s one of the few that balances successful careers in music and acting. What makes her different is this: She carefully chooses the moments in which the two collide.
Every choice she makes is just that — her choice. She is not the puppet of a manager or agency. Rather, she utilizes the strengths of others to guide and strengthen her, which defines the makeup of a professional artist.
A recent interview with Jimmy Fallon during the Dickinson press tour showed an excited Steinfeld confirming one vital rumor: that new music is coming in early 2020. Throughout the tour, she credits a “newfound fearlessness” in her writing to that of the entire Dickinson project.
Let this post serve as a warning to binge all things Hailee now so that you aren’t bandwagoning later.
Next. Starz's love of period dramas about strong women is amazing. dark