Time - USA (2021-03-01)

Chloe X

Halle

TRANSCENDENT

VOCALISTS

BY ELAINE

WELTEROTH

Working at Teen Vogue, one of my

biggest joys was meeting young

stars before their prime. Few

were as sensational or instantly

lovable as Chloe and Halle Bailey.

The self-taught R&B stars and

multi talented sisters—whose

voices literally stopped traffic

when they broke into song for me

at a Los Angeles restaurant in

2015—earned a coveted early

co-sign from Queen Bey, who

discovered their breathtaking

renditions of her ballads on

YouTube. Now, they’re garnering

Grammy buzz for their critically

praised 2020 album Ungodly

Hour, which showcases a sound

all their own, with influences

ranging from Beyoncé to Billie

Holiday, but for the TikTok

generation. Their careers now

span film and television—Halle

will play a Disney princess in

her role as Ariel in the upcoming

adaptation of The Little Mermaid,

and both have long been fan

favorites on Freeform’s Grown-

ish. Through it all, their steadfast

sisterhood remains strong.

Watching the evolution of two

young, self-possessed Black girls

blossom into full-blown women

before our eyes is a gift to all who

bear witness. They are Black Girl

Magic personified—and this is

just the beginning.

Welteroth is a journalist, a former

editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue and

a judge on Project Runway

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PHOTOGRAPH BY RAMONA ROSALES