Written by Astrid Elstrom
It's no doubt that 2015 was one of the biggest years for the alternative and indie scene, with notable releases like "Blurryface" by Twenty One Pilots, "Blue Neighbourhood" by Troye Sivan, "Life's Not Out To Get You" by Neck Deep, and "Future Hearts" by All Time Low. One of my favorite releases from that year was "Badlands" by Halsey.
With her announcement that she’ll be releasing "Badlands: Live At Webster Hall" to commemorate the five year anniversary of her debut studio album, it brought back tons of sweet memories. To say this album defined the middle and high school experience for me is quite an understatement; I've called it a straight-up cultural reset. Everyone wanted to be that rebellious teen that “New Americana” described, with blue hair like Halsey had on the album cover.
Arguably, even after five years, there are some tracks that still stand out, like “Strange Love,” “Gasoline,” and “Castle”, due to their intense lyricism and instrumentals. The bass drop between the verses and chorus of “Castle” makes for this booming transition where the listener can feel free to believe that they're just as powerful as the character in the song.
“I’m heading straight to the castle / They’re going to make me their queen / And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean,” makes an unapologetic stance for someone to stand their ground. “Gasoline” is a depiction of Halsey’s mental health including her struggles with bipolar disorder, the pressure of fame, and conformity.
The guitar twangs give the track an eerie and unsettling feeling which helps to drive the point home. The chorus goes as “And all the people say / ‘You can’t wake up, this is not a dream / You’re part of a machine / You are not a human being" is sung with mechanical and choppy vocals and a matching instrumental.
This her "fuck you" to the entertainment industry for treating artists as if they are robots and teaching them to suppress parts of their personality. “Strange Love” comes at the top of the list of the best songs off of "Badlands", based on the snappy and brutally honest lyrics alone.
This track is easy to relate to, being about loving who you love and having to feel obligated to share every detail of your romantic relationships, whether you’re just a private person or a star in the entertainment industry. Seeing Halsey’s growth between her EP "Room 93", "Badlands", "hopeless fountain kingdom", and "Manic" has been a moving experience.
We've seen the evolution in her lyricism, consistently being able to open and vulnerable from “Is There Somewhere?” to “Control” to “you should be sad”, all having their own unique key features while staying very raw and emotional. For example, “you should be sad” has a country influence while having this upbeat pop rhythm where she pours her frustrations out from a past relationship and takes subtle jabs at that ex.
“I can’t help this awful energy / God damn right you should be scared of me / Who is in control?” from "Control" is another example of Halsey opening up about her struggles with bipolar disorder by personifying it and centering it around the question of who is pushing the gas. The impact of “Gasoline” and “Control” was that they were the first songs that openly talked about bipolar disorder and the toll it takes on a person.
All in all, "Badlands" still has as much of an impact now as it did five years ago, and Halsey is continuing to pave the way for young womxn in the music industry. "Badlands: Live At Webster Hall" is available to stream wherever you listen to music, and exclusive merch themed for the fifth birthday of the record is available on her website.
Comments