‘Creativity saved me from darkness’: Tiktok’s Kudasai Girl, Devin Halbal, on how social media changed her life
- Social media star Devin Halbal from New York talks about connecting with her followers at meet and greets around the world, including, recently, Hong Kong
- Halbal, who coined the term ‘Met Gala behaviour’ for wearing an outfit that makes you feel beautiful, says creativity has increased her self-esteem
Social media star Devin Halbal has a charisma that can only be described as magnetic.
As soon as she covers her mouth and lets out a giggle, you cannot help but be overcome by an urge to sit down and share a bubble tea with her, maybe even paint your nails with her.
Halbal burst into the worldwide consciousness in January 2024 with a simple TikTok video of her in Japan saying mizu, gohan and ocha – water, rice and green tea in Japanese – all followed by the word kudasai, the word for please, in her trademark singsong voice.
It has become something of a phenomenon, with the video garnering over 14.5 million views on TikTok alone.
Even before the viral clip, Halbal was already well known in her hometown, New York. It was there that she coined the term Met Gala behaviour, which she defines as the feeling of wearing an outfit that makes you feel beautiful. The term became a hashtag on TikTok and has appeared in over 150 million posts on the social media platform.
Halbal’s effervescent personality shines through in the mostly 15-second clips she posts of going to events, hanging out at cafes and diners, or sometimes just posing in various outfits and saying phrases such as “elevate, activate, appreciate”.
Halbal, who identifies as a trans woman, says it has been a journey for her to be comfortable in her own skin.
“I did encounter a lot of questions and a bit of backlash from my family at the beginning,” she recalls. “I have a lot of really good friends who love me and care about me, so just checking in with my friends does amazing things for my mental health.”
Tapping into her strengths as a content creator has also helped her build her self-confidence.
“I’m just inspired by creativity. I’m inspired by life, whether it be food, a language, a song or a colour,” she says.
“Creativity saved me from darkness or feeling sad and feeling not connected to myself. My connectedness with my creativity comes through years of meditation, and writing came from years of self-reflection and introspection.”
Asked why she feels she is so popular in Asia – a region that is considered quite conservative in some parts – she says: “I think happiness transcends borders and language barriers. Happiness is really powerful and when people see people happy, it makes them happy. I think that’s really it.”
It is this glow of self-acceptance and insistence on joy and happiness that her fans find so attractive.
“At first I just thought Devin’s videos were funny short snippets on Instagram,” says Ian Lui, a data strategist in his thirties from Hong Kong. “But after a while, I became more intrigued and wanted to follow her and see what she was up to in Asia.
“It also feels good to see someone bringing people joy by just being herself.”
The findings of a study published recently in the journal Psychological Science showed that young people are experiencing record levels of loneliness that, in the past, have been associated only with adults of retirement age.
This may explain the role TikTokkers such as Halbal play in the lives of the younger generation. “I feel like we have more of a connection,” says Halbal.
I was really overwhelmed in Hong Kong. I’d like to think that everyone’s there with good intentions, so I feel people were there because of love
“Back in the day if you saw someone on your screen, whether that be a movie screen, a poster or a billboard, you didn’t know anything about them. There was nothing other than that one visual you see and there was no communication or interaction with them.
“[My followers] know I’m a real person because I’m visiting their city and they know I’m physically there.
“Every time I go to a new city, my comments section is flooded with recommendations for food and drinks and sights to see. I tried milk tea because someone recommended it.
“That’s an aspect of the relationship. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s like an episode of Black Mirror but there is a relationship between my followers and me.”
As her popularity grew after the viral video in Japan, the number of followers who showed up to Halbal’s meet and greets went up exponentially.
During one event in Hong Kong, she was swarmed by hundreds of fans as she strolled along the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront promenade. Her sunny disposition has helped her handle the crowds, and stay calm despite one of her bags being stolen during the chaos.
“I had a bag full of gifts that people gave me. It all happened so fast. It was really hot outside and I just put down the bag for five seconds and then it was gone,” she recalls.
“I was really overwhelmed in Hong Kong. I’d like to think that everyone’s there with good intentions, so I feel people were there because of love.
“I don’t ever get too nervous but large gatherings make me feel less scared because it’s like it’s in a public place. There are so many people around so I feel safer because of that.”
Her rise to fame was meteoric, so what’s next for Halbal?
“I would love to have a K-pop era. I would love to have an acting era. The world is my oyster, so we’ll see what happens,” she says.
With a loneliness epidemic among young adults and a world in which many are troubled by wars and climate change, influencers like Halbal are providing content that is a form of escapism.
It is as if, through her regular posts on social media, she is the angel on your shoulder offering affirmations, the imaginary friend who makes you laugh – except that she is a real person and she is coming to a city near you.
“I’m going to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, and the rest is TBD (to be determined), but there’ll be more,” she adds.
