They also have a knack for singling out little generational touchstones that lend their songs an anthemic quality. As they proclaim on the taut, slow-tempo jam "Hold Me Down," "My demons are begging me to open up my mouth." Thankfully, Halsey consistently brings a strong sense of self to their content at every turn, musing with blithe emotion about their sexuality and creative independence. On "Castle," they sing "I'm headed straight for the castle/They've got the kingdom locked up/And there's an old man sitting on a throne they're saying, 'I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut.'" Of course, it's clear from the start of Badlands that keeping their mouth shut is the last thing Halsey plans to do. However, underneath that icy landscape, Halsey burns with a feminist confidence, spitting out lyrics with their soulful voice that sounds like Björk with vocal fry. It's a goth throwback that brings to mind Danny Lohner's work with Nine Inch Nails.
On the surface, Badlands is all chilly atmosphere, thanks to a bevy of thick bass tones, pulsing synthesizers, and rattlesnake percussion loops. music is still apparent, though they did collaborate here with a handful of like-minded producers including Lido, the Futuristics, and Son Lux, who helped flesh out their highly personal songs into even more dramatic, sonically dense recordings. An internet phenomenon, New Jersey's Ashley Frangipane, aka Halsey, parlayed their over 16,000 YouTube subscribers into a record deal with Astralwerks at age 18, a deal based primarily around their moody, synth-heavy single "Ghost." Two years later, Badlands finds the 20-year-old budding pop sensation delivering a set of songs that sound a lot like that fateful first single.
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