“I’m a wanderess. I’m a one-night stand. Don’t belong to no city. Don’t belong to no man. I’m the violence in the pouring rain. I’m a hurricane.”
Yes, the song is as majestic as it sounds. The track is called Hurricane, and it’s from the Room 93 album from a rising artist known as Halsey. She’s the Lorde and Lana del Rey mix with a wicked twist you never knew you’ve been craving to hear.
Her real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, and she’s an artist you’re definitely going to be hearing more about. The 21-year-old pop/alternative singer is a New Jersey native who is clearly aiming for pop culture domination with her hypnotizing lyrics — especially those from her new album, Badlands, which has maintained its top-20 status on the iTunes charts since its release in August.
I became obsessed with her when she was the opening act for Imagine Dragons’ Smoke + Mirrors tour in July in Miami. I may have not known her lyrics at the time, but I honestly didn’t have to to notice that I had witnessed one of the best live performances I had ever experienced. Her voice is as pure as the recording, and that goes a long way considering how many popular artists nowadays are using auto tune because raw talent has seemingly become boring in the pop industry. If you don’t believe me, you can watch this live performance of Hurricane and prepare yourself to listen to it on replay.
As for Halsey’s new album Badlands? Wow. The fearless leader is guiding this generation of New Americanas into her world of breaking gender stereotypes and embracing diversity with a dark, magnetic force that makes millennials pay attention. Her authenticity is felt through each verse, giving her the kind of edge that makes you want to hear her songs on repeat and not grow tired of them. Each song has the heart and substance most pop artists couldn’t even dare to mimic, especially if you listen to Gasoline or Young God.
If you’re new to her sound, you should start off with her badass single New Americana.
“It’s this idea of these kids who are part of a generation where pop culture is so heavily influential that diversity doesn’t scare them the way it scared our parents and their parents. We’re more accepting of different walks of life,” she said about the song during an interview with MTV.
Although her Badlands tour is sold out, you can catch her opening for The Weeknd’s upcoming tour, and feel free to give me a holler because you better believe I’ll be there.