Audrey Hobert isn't letting social media dictate how she feels about herself, regardless of whether people are praising or criticizing her.
In a new interview with Variety, the 27-year-old singer opened up about navigating online negativity as her music career continues to take off, explaining why she's never been particularly fond of social media.
"Social media is such a disgusting place," Hobert said. "Instagram came out when I was in middle school, and I immediately called bullshit on it."
Hobert recalled realizing how harmful social media could be after seeing photos from a party she hadn't been invited to.
"I remember friends of mine posting pictures from a Memorial Day pool party that I wasn't invited to, and I was like, 'Oh, this isn't going to work for me.'"
Her comments come after she faced a wave of online criticism following the August release of her NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Some of the backlash included negative remarks about her physical appearance.
Rather than allowing strangers' opinions to affect her confidence, Hobert said she tries to remind herself that online commentary doesn't determine her worth.
"Whether it's positive or negative, it's not true," she explained. "I don't need to see mean things about myself. And it's nice to see nice things about myself, but neither of them are real."
The perspective comes during a major moment in Hobert's career, which has been polarizing.
Since releasing her debut album, Who's the Clown?, the singer has emerged as one of pop's rising stars, earning attention for her humorous, personal songwriting and unconventional live performances.
Her growing popularity has also translated into larger venues. In less than a year, Hobert went from performing for approximately 650 people at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg to selling out three nights at the Brooklyn Paramount.
Before launching her solo career, Hobert worked as a screenwriter and collaborated with longtime friend Gracie Abrams, earning songwriting credits on half of Abrams' sophomore album, The Secret of Us.
