Bella Poarch wants to break the mold: From the Navy to TikTok

From the slums and the Navy to TikTok and musical stardom, TikTok’s favorite trendsetter is on a warpath. With a new HyperX partnership, we had to interview Bella Poarch about the mindset that’s pushed her this far.

Born in the “slums” of the Philippines, Bella Poarch lived an abusive life until she enrolled in the Navy at 18 years old. But despite that harrowing upbringing, she’s surged into the limelight as one of the biggest influencers in the world today.

Poarch created the most-liked TikTok video of all time, scored a Warner Music record deal, and is one of the top-five most-followed creators on TikTok. With fellow Filipino-Americans Rachel ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter and Bretman Rock, Poarch has broken barriers at every turn these past couple years.

Now, the multifaceted gamer, singer, streamer, influencer, and (more recently) magazine cover model is partnered with HyperX as a brand ambassador for their Quadcast S microphone. So we took the chance to ask her some questions.

Bella Poarch interview: “Break the mold”

In terms of collaborations, Bella is best known for walking the Fenty runway and giving friends like Rae and Rock cameos in her music videos.

But she’s working with HyperX now, and explained why the brand is one of her rare, more-corporate partnerships: “To be honest, I made a promise to myself to only align with brands that I love and are dope.”

• Read more: TikTok star Bella Poarch signs on as HyperX brand ambassador

Fulfilling promises and remaining true to herself appear to be cornerstones of Poarch’s ethos.

As a Filipino-American woman, we asked Bella if she has any advice for other minorities hoping to break into traditionally exclusionary fields. Her immediate response? “Break the mold.”

Going further, she elaborated that you can’t “let other people tell you what you’re going to be or do. That includes friends and even your family members. At the end of the day, do it because YOU love it. It’s your life.”

• Read more: Bella Poarch reveals she’s actually a massive Pokemon fan

And, specifically keying in on her own experiences, Poarch continued to speak on ignoring barriers: “I think the problem sometimes in Asian culture is that families tell kids what they’re going to be. Instead of letting kids find out what they want to be. 

“And I hope I can be an example as someone who has broken the mold.”