Review: "Badlands" is Unapologetically Honest

With her debut album Badlands, singer-songwriter Halsey has already cemented her place in

Indie Pop fame. By mixing a little Lorde and a little Lana del Ray with her own brutal honesty as

an artist, Halsey managed to create a perfect balance between smoky, mellow tracks to harder-

hitting electronic jams, like “Ghost.” What makes the album most successful is Halsey’s strength

as a songwriter and willingness to tackle difficult topics, like sexuality and even feminism, in her

lyrics. Some songs, like “Control” focus on her struggle with her mental illness (“I’m well

acquainted / with the villains that live in my head”), while power track “New Americana” rings

out as a millennial anthem. Badlands is worth every scent and, for tracks like “Strange Love”

and “Gasoline,” it’s definitely worth shelling out the extra $4 for the Deluxe version of the

album.

Top Tracks: Control, Young God, New Americana, Gasoline

Favorite Lyrics: “I’m bigger than my body/I’m colder than this home/I’m meaner than these

demons/I’m bigger than these bones” (Control)

Overall: 4/5

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