Hailee Steinfeld talks new music, new movies and the ‘amazing’ Britney Spears

By Kailyn Brown

Saturday, July 16, 2016 | 2 a.m.

You may have seen Hailee Steinfeld in her pal Taylor Swift’s star-studded music video “Bad Blood,” or holding down one of the leads in the film “True Grit,” for which she received an Oscar nomination at just 14 years old. But since appearing in the musical comedy “Pitch Perfect 2,” picking up a record deal with Republic and releasing EP “Haiz” all in the past year, Steinfeld is fully immersing herself in music.

She’s hitting the stage along with the Common Kings for Meghan Trainor’s “The Unstoppable Tour,” coming to Las Vegas July 20 at the Chelsea inside Cosmopolitan. Steinfeld chatted with the Sun about her upcoming film the “Edge of Seventeen,” working with Zedd on latest single “Starving,” and taking performance notes after seeing Britney Spears at Planet Hollywood.

Congratulations on your first single, “Love Myself,” going platinum — and for the highest debut of a solo female artist on Top 40 radio since Natalie Imbruglia's “Torn” in 1998. How does that feel?

I mean, it’s insane to think about. ... (That song) really has changed so much for me in terms of my life. It’s done so much for me personally.

Your song “Starving,” featuring Zedd, came out Friday. What was it like working with Zedd?

Absolutely amazing. I am such a huge fan of his work and him as a person. He’s so fun. We’ve met each other many times, and to collaborate with him has always been on the bucket list. I never thought it would happen.

Speaking of cool collaborations, you’re touring with Meghan Trainor.

Meghan Trainor is one of the best artists of our time, and she’s such an incredible person. She’s such a badass. To be a part of this experience is an honor.

This is your first tour, right? What are you most nervous about?

Yes it is! ... It’s all new to me, just going from city to city. I don’t know if I’m particularly nervous ... I don’t know if I know what I am getting into. My excitement is really overriding every other emotion at the moment.

What song are you most excited to perform?

That actually may be what I’m most nervous for. “Starving” is kind of nerve-racking. It’s the latest single and the newest that everyone knows the least. I am very excited to perform “Love Myself.” We have a new sort of breakdown for it. ... There will be a lot of fan interaction; I’m excited for that.

What else can fans look forward to in your Vegas performance Wednesday?

Well, I will be with my four dancers, who are absolutely incredible. ... We go up there and have a good time. The new song, some cool covers.

You’ve mentioned that you never had to do choreography before “Pitch Perfect 2,” and that it was harder than doing stunts in movies.

I think in terms of doing it for a movie, my thing was having to act and move at the same time. ... When it comes to performing onstage ... I like to think of it as me feeling the beat instead of thinking of hitting certain steps, because that’s a lot to think about. I think of just having a good time.

You have a new movie, “Edge of Seventeen,” coming out in September.

I haven’t had a movie in a while. I feel so lucky to be able to do both touring and making movies. I’m excited for people to see it and to let them know that I’m still in the game with acting.

Can you give us a synopsis?

I like to think of it as a “Breakfast Club” for my generation, even though (that movie) is incredibly timeless. It’s the high school experiences and struggling with everyday life and things that everyone has experienced, no matter where they are from or where they are brought up. The character that I play, Nadine, something happens to her that she thinks is the end of the world. Her best friend starts dating her brother, which should have been a good thing because they would have all been together, but this is the worst thing that could possibly happen to me. It’s funny. It’s sad. I was crying one minute and laughing the other. It has such an honest and organic tone to it.

This is somewhat random, but you recently tweeted that you saw Britney Spears in concert in Vegas. How was that?

I saw her “Piece of Me” show. I’ve never seen her perform before, and I mean, I’m definitely a fan, but even more so now. ... I love live performances, and I think I was in the mindset of me going on this first tour. You start paying attention so much more. The production was amazing, she was amazing and the dancers were amazing. Everything was on point.

How did you prepare for this tour?

I worked on freaking out a lot less. I’m kidding (laughs). Learning to control the nerves and use them in the right way. I’ve been in rehearsals and working on new songs and older songs. Some of the songs for the EP (“Haiz”) are kind of revamped in the slightest way for the live performance.

What are some things you’ve learned from your musician friends, like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez?

There’s so much to pick up from when artists perform. Whether I know the person or don’t, it’s amazing to see how they carry themselves.