Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last two weeks, you have surely seen the viral video of Haliey Welch, aka the “Hawk Tuah girl,” in a recent street interview.
And in case you somehow haven’t seen the clip, TikTok creators, Tim & Dee TV, walk up to Welch and her friend on the streets of Nashville and ask her, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?” Welch then responded with the quote that has taken the internet by storm, “You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang.”
Simply writing the interaction down in words doesn’t really do the interaction justice, so watch it here:
While some, myself included, are still trying to wrap their heads around how and why this clip went seemingly everywhere, there’s no denying just how far it went. The original video alone has over 368k likes and 4.1 million views on TikTok along with thousands of reuploads across the internet.
The virality of the clip prompted Welch to make her first public appearance since the video began circulating during Zach Bryan’s performance of “Revival” on June 29th in Nashville. If performing “Revival” with Bryan wasn’t enough, she also appeared on the “I Remember Everything” singer’s girlfriend, Brianna LaPaglia’s, Barstool podcast Plan Bri.
All of the attention finally came to a peak today when The Penthouse, an independent label specializing in A&R and production, announced that they would be signing Welch to a worldwide exclusive management contract.
Welch reflected on the newfound fame and expressed how excited she was for the opportunity:
“Please don’t wake me. Two weeks ago it was just my Granny and me in itty bitty Belfast, Tennessee. Then, I say something silly, and now my life has changed. Isn’t God great?! Can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
The Penthouse’s Founder, Jonnie Forster, went as far to say that she is currently America’s sweetheart after the virality of the clip:
“The world’s gone crazy for Haliey! I’m glad our team can help guide this rocketship. All the podcasters are right, spend five minutes with her and you’ll see why she is America’s Sweetheart.”
Christian Barker of Christian Barker & Co. is also representing Welch along with The Penthouse. Barker went as far as to say that she’s the female Theo Von:
“Haliey has risen to fame with her cheeky humor–known to her friends as the female Theo Von, but after getting to know her on a greater level, I think her small-town, grassroots story and how a chance encounter on Broadway took her on this unexpected path to stardom will resonate with millions. We are proud to represent her on this journey.”
While there are no concrete plans for Welch at the moment, it’s safe to assume that she will be making her rounds on plenty of podcasts (and potentially more concerts) in the coming weeks.
Watch her appearance on Plan Bri here: