As if electro-pop singer Halsey’s pretty-in-pink Playboy cover wasn’t a pleasant enough surprise for her fans, the commentary on her racial identity and background turned out to be another jaw-dropper.    

The “Castle” songstress arrived on the subject of cultural appropriation with the magazine, which she previously called out Iggy Azalea for when the former Grand Hustle Records artist was attempting a rap career. In a revelation that’s apparently fresh news to some of her fans, Halsey explained her experiences growing up as biracial with a Black father. She added that though she’s “white-passing,” she takes pride in her identity. She even mentioned the “racial blips” she often fell upon as a teenager, such as guys inquiring about the color of her nipples or her unnecessary need to choose one culture of music over another.

“I look like a white girl, but I don’t feel like one,” she explained. “I’m a black woman. So it’s been weird navigating that. When I was growing up I didn’t know if I was supposed to love TLC or Britney.”

Though she explained her issues with White America’s self-removal from racial issues, also known as the “it doesn’t affect me” complex, her self-proclamation as a Black woman comes at a rather interesting time in the nation’s racial climate.

And considering that she’s never claimed this status before, the internet is especially concerned about the timing.