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
