Halsey is just a “stoner kid that made it out” in her words. Her lyrics are full of sex and drugs, and it’s not the summer of love anymore, but she’s just edgy enough to find a place in the alternative music scene.
She’s angsty and talented and has an exceptional understanding of today’s youth. Maybe she was in the right place at the right time, but that doesn’t mean that she’s not special.
When she incidentally crossed over into the mainstream eye with her and the Chainsmokers’ smash-hit “Closer,” I wondered if she had what it took to sit pretty and be a pop star, in the conventional sense.
Songs like “New Americana” on her debut record could have just as easily been crossover hits, but then you have tracks like “Colors” that you know only the Lana Del Rey/Lorde/Beach House fans of dreamy, drawn-out ballads are going to get into.
Halsey’s career could go in a lot of directions right now. She could pull a Taylor Swift, lay down some tracks with Max Martin, and go full-out Top 40. She could write a couple of more electronic or pop songs and make the rest of the album edgier, or she could make a vintage, underground record and call “Closer” a freak accident. This last scenario will only occur in my dreams, but wouldn’t it be great?
Her new single “Now or Never” dropped Tuesday. It’s an auto-tuned cliché that lacks originality in lyrics and in production. I refuse to jump to conclusions, however; the forthcoming album could still be great. When “Shake it Off” dropped, I thought T-Swift might have finally written an awful album, but once 1989 came out in entirety, her talent was still prevalent in slowed down tracks like “Clean” and “This Love.”
Her new record Hopeless Fountain Kingdom will be out June 2. Until then, we can only speculate on how the new record will sound collectively.
Halle Weber is a freshman studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Are you excited Halsey's new music? Let Halle know by tweeting at her @HalleWeber13.
