Bebe Rexha Makes Her Own Rules

The key to this pop star’s success: embracing who she is and living life on her own terms.

- Jeff Nelson

Big things are happening for Bebe Rexha. The 29-year-old broke out in late 2017 with “Meant to Be,” her ubiquitous hit with country duo Florida Georgia Line, which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and topped the Hot Country Songs chart for a record- breaking 50 consecutive weeks. Within the past year she has also released her debut studio album, Expectations; was nominated for two Grammys (including Best New Artist); and became the Comeback Stage coach on The Voice. Considering all of this, it’d be easy to call Bebe an overnight sensation— but that would be a mistake. Bebe has actually been hustling for the past 10 years—she co-wrote the Eminem and Rihanna hit “The Monster” and sang on G-Eazy’s “Me, Myself & I” and the David Guetta–Nicki Minaj–Afrojack song “Hey Mama.”

Along the way, the New York City native has been adamant about staying true to herself. Lyrically, Bebe—who will release her sophomore album later this year—has sung about everything from heartbreak to managing mental illness. This past April she revealed she is bipolar. And on social media, she’s never been afraid to call it how she sees it—whether it’s publicly shaming a married pro athlete for hitting on her or slamming fashion designers who refused to dress her size-8 frame.