The music industry has become more open to welcoming and building up artists who prefer not to fit in a specific mold. After all, it is those who remain authentic and bold enough to show their real selves who attract the most following and support. The music industry can also be tough to those who stand out in a different way, but the world has openly embraced the uniqueness of music artists regardless of their preferences and leanings in life. At the end of the day, music is a unifying form of art that does not look at titles, races, backgrounds, and even sexual orientations. Rising music artist Hayden Todd has reaped the benefits of this openness as he is fast becoming the voice of the LGBTQ community through his exciting and fresh songs.
The Salt Lake City, Utah-born singer of the single “Barbie Girl” discovered his passion for music and entertainment at the tender age of five. It was his father who first introduced him to horror films, a genre he eventually fell madly in love with. The first horror film that had a lasting impact on his life was the 1978 classic “Halloween” directed by John Carpenter. The film triggered and nurtured an innate desire to become part of the entertainment business. He was fully convinced that he was destined to impact peoples’ lives through entertainment. In 2016, Hayden finally starred in his first independent film titled “Red Eye.” It was written and directed by Deranged Minds Entertainment.
Music, however, presented a different kind of excitement to Hayden. His first formal performance in singing was when he was in high school, where he was a show choir performer for three years for the Declo High Trendsetters. Prior to that, he was quite into rap around the age of ten. He was greatly influenced by the musical stylings of Lil’ Wayne, Eminem, Kanye, and Nicki Minaj. At that time, he started writing rhymes, lyrics, songs, and scripts in his journals throughout his schooling. His growing artistry led to the creation of his first music parody called “Lawn Guy.” It was followed by yet another well-received parody titled “Salt Lake City Dreams.” Those two major projects further fanned the flame burning inside him to create more music.
After high school, he attended Salt Lake Community College in 2013 to pursue a degree in film. While there, the thriving artist learned various valuable skills, including directing, filming, and editing his own music videos. Finally, Hayden released his debut album titled GAYPOCALYPSE in 2019. The song “Barbie Girl” followed in 2020, which became his most popular single to date. The phenomenal single was followed by more exciting releases, which included I did several features in other songs: “FBoy Fall,” “3, 2, 1 Vogue,” “Another Guy (Remix),” “Cap,” and a couple of freestyles to “Whole Lotta Choppas” and “Trollz.” In 2021, Hayden released his second album Hayden Todd: Volume One.
“Since the release of Hayden Todd: Volume One, I have done local performances at The Sun Trapp, an LGBTQ Bar in Salt Lake City, Utah, along with other local venues and LGBTQ events. My most notable performance was opening for Toddrick Hall at the Loud & Queer SLC Pride 2021. I have been asked to perform in the Las Vegas Pride, which will be October 10, 2022,” he said.
Today, Hayden has more than 55k followers on TikTok and is growing. He constantly finds inspiration in the love he receives from his fans. “With each new song that I write and each new performance, my strength as an entertainer constantly grows. My current single ‘Long Lost Love’ is a testament to my growth as an artist and is only a stepping stone to music yet to come. With the support of my family, friends, and fans (my Hot Toddies), I hope to see myself as being a strong role model and voice for the LGBTQ community,” he added.With all the support and encouragement he is getting from his fans, Hayden Todd is sure to have a promising and remarkable ride in the music and entertainment industries.
