Hailee Steinfeld Talks Handling Heartbreak and Her 'Liberating' New Music (Exclusive)

Hailee Steinfeld is processing her emotions in her new EP, Half Written Story. The 23-year-old songstress and Dickinson star opens up to ET's Katie Krause about her journey working through heartbreak in her new music. 

Calling the release "equally as terrifying as it is sort of, you know, exciting and liberating," Steinfeld notes that she's been very honest with her feelings, even when they can be conflicting at times. 

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"These records were written over the course of a time where one day, I was really angry and frustrated, and the next day, I was feeling so alone and isolated and introverted, and the next is, like, a little bit more empowered and little bit more confident and sort of starting to gain, you know, myself back," she explains. "I just love that I was able to accomplish all of those emotions that I was going through in a small body of work."

So what has she learned about love and relationships?

"Every love is different. Every relationship is different and sometimes a person is a certain way in a relationship versus outside of that relationship," she says. "And sometimes you get to know both sides of that person."

She's also grown as a person from her heartbreak. 

"I guess I just learned how important it is to be honest and realistic with yourself," she says. "I've been in situations [where] I will choose to ignore certain things deep down that aren't necessarily right or don't make me feel the way I know I deserve or should feel. And then beyond that you start to sort of try and find things that can distract you from the pain that you're feeling. I guess it's just I've learned not to ignore that and trust your instincts and trust yourself and that it's OK to feel what you're feeling."

With all the processing and learning she's done, Steinfeld admits that she's "for sure" still open to finding love. 

"Wild as love can be, it is pretty awesome," she says. "I wouldn't say I'm necessarily looking. I always think that -- and at least in my life it's proven to be true more than once -- that it kinda comes when you're not looking for it, you know? But as far as, like, having a guard up and I think that's always been the kind of person I am and have been forever with any relationship. I think any time you experience sort of pain or or hurt or something from a certain situation going into it again, you've got a guard up, so I've definitely been the type of person to always have one up. But yeah, maybe more so now, but I don't know. There will be somebody that comes along that knocks it down."

It's been 10 years since Steinfeld's breakout role in the True Grit remake. Stay tuned to ETonline for more from the actress about the milestone anniversary.  

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