Halsey gets personal with her ‘Badlands’ debut (Part 1)

by Leanna Tabora, entertainment editor

About a year ago, alternative singer Halsey broke out in the music industry with her Room 93 EP in October 2014. This year, she released her moody and vulnerable electro-pop alternative debut album called Badlands on August 28th. Halsey expresses freedom and emotion in her debut, specifically about “sex and being sad.” In the words of Halsey, welcome to the Badlands.

1. “Castle”– This track is not only a perfect intro for the album, but a perfect entrance to Halsey’s life as an artist. With dark vibes, Halsey takes her audience on a journey to the “throne,” which is a metaphor to her rise to fame. She explains that the “castle” is her home where she will reveal her feelings, basically setting a warning that Badlands will be a very emotional and revealing story. Rating: 8/10

2.  “Hold Me Down”– This track is one of the weaker points in the album. Halsey talks about fighting off a bad habit, specifically her inner demons. Halsey sings, “Hold me down/ Hold me down/ Sneaking out the back door/ Make no sound.” The lyrics in this song come off as very average for the topic she sings about, making it a bit boring as a whole. Rating: 5/10

3. “New Americana”– This generation of teenagers can really connect and relate to this song. It praises one’s individualism and not being influenced by rules or other people. Halsey includes herself in this generation, by saying, “We are the new americana, high on legal marijuana, raised on Biggie and Nirvana, we are the new americana,” It’s a fun track to sing the lyrics to loudly and can definitely be put on repeat. Rating: 7/10

4. “Drive”–  “Drive” is one of the few ballads on the album, and the first love song to appear on it too. With dreamy vibes and a clarinet based instrumental, Halsey sings about being comfortable with someone but having a hard time revealing those feelings to that person. The sound of this track really fits the mood of this song and almost feels like one is listening to a movie. Rating: 10/10

5. “Hurricane”– This track is featured on the deluxe version of Badlands. It was originally on Room 93 EP. “Hurricane” is very empowering with poignant lyrics, talking about being independent and unpredictable and feeling wild. Halsey sings, “I’m a wanderess/ I’m a one night stand/ Don’t belong to no city/ Don’t belong to no man.” Although this song is a bit mellow and doesn’t stand out among the rest of the tracks, it delivers a great message. Rating: 6/10

6. “Roman Holiday”– Finally! A happy love song. This upbeat and joyful track doesn’t really fit it’s title, because a roman holiday means, “an occasion on which enjoyment or profit is derived from others’ suffering or discomfort.” Instead, it’s a song about ignoring the world and being with your lover, something all lovers can relate to and connect with. Rating: 7/10

7. “Ghost”– This song was Halsey’s breakout song that was also featured on Room 93 EP. She sings about searching for your companion. It has sad vibes when she sings, “My ghost/ Where’d you go?/ What happened to the soul that you used to be?” It makes it seem as if she doesn’t know a lover anymore, but in reality she’s just searching for someone she knows well and can love. Rating: 8/10

8. “Colors”– This is the track Halsey’s fans were waiting for most. Halsey sings about loving and caring for someone who seems to be going through a rough time with drugs and uses certain colors as a metaphor to describe him. She sings, “Everything is blue/ His pills, his hands, his jeans/ And I’m covered in the colors pulled apart at the seams/ Everything is gray/ His hair, his smoke his dreams/ And he’s so devoid of color he don’t know what it means.” It’s very similar to “Red” by Taylor Swift, with very electric and icy vibes that stand out on Badlands filled with emotion and worry for the person she’s talking about. Rating: 10/10

To be continued..