angipane. Ever heard of her? If you haven’t, I suggest getting on Spotify and looking her up right now. Halsey is a newly-emerged artist in the musical world. Although her Extended Play (EP), “Room 93”, came out in October 2014, she is just now gaining momentum as an artist. With her blue hair, ripped black jeans and dark lipstick, Halsey immediately demands attention. After all, not all of us can rock the sexy yet fearsome “don’t mess with me, I’m a rock star” look. This past August, Halsey released her first full album, “BADLANDS”, and yes, it’s just as sexy and fearsome as she is. The gritty, dark electro-pop sound of this album will keep you listening all night long. To be honest, when I first began listening to Halsey, I was a little skeptical. One of my good and musically informed friends told me about her song, “Ghost”, and I listened (mostly because I was looking for some new music to add to my radio show). It was an amazing song–dripping with emotion, the vocals unique and beautiful, with a strong beat and strong lyrics. It was enough to get me to dig a little further, and that’s when I discovered her EP: “Room 93”. Each of the five songs on that EP were different- something that not all artists can successfully accomplish- and each told its own story. The EP showcases what Halsey has made her own musical style, which draws from the likes of Lorde and Lana Del Rey. The lyrics of every song were dark, like Lorde’s music, and somewhat mystical, like Del Rey’s. But Halsey added something that neither of these artists has–a gritty, surreal tone–making her music raw and bursting with emotion. I was hooked.
When her album “BADLANDS” was released, I couldn’t wait. Hearing Halsey live only added to my growing appreciation for her music. Her stage presence was stunning, and her live performance sounded even better than her recordings–something that is rare in the music world these days. (If you ever have that chance, I highly recommend going to a concert of hers).
“BADLANDS”, much like “Room 93”, gives off an incredibly moody, gritty, electro-pop feeling. The lyrics are saturated with raw emotion, containing themes of love, loss, desperation, sex, and the inner conflict between self-preservation and self-doubt. The music is striking and reminds the listener of what it feels to be truly human. “BADLANDS” songs like “Gasoline” and “Control”, aren’t exactly reminiscent of rainbows and butterflies, but “New Americana” sings of hope for the future and the pride we should have in our generation. Upon release, “BADLANDS” reached no. 2 on the iTunes Overall Top Albums Chart, which is impressive for a new artist’s first album; and if that doesn’t impress you, well, I guess you’ll just have to go listen yourself. Enjoy!
