Concert Review: 'Hurricane' Halsey Blows Through Boston on "Badlands" Tour
/"Badlands" Album Cover (Capitol Records).
“I don’t know why you picked me, but I thank you so much.” –Halsey
Much like her song explains, Halsey is nothing short of a hurricane. She performed to a jam-packed House of Blues Boston this past Saturday. Halsey performed song after song from her debut album, Badlands, that dropped earlier this year. The crowd was electric and blatant fanatics of the rising star; every lyric from every song she performed echoed throughout the room. Halsey herself is magnetic. Her hurricane personality, full of angst and power and effective beauty, creates a musician who completely steals the spotlight for however long she is onstage. She adorned leather pants and a bralette only to change into a Miley Cyrus-esque, nude leotard hoodie with slits in the side. Her punk attire matched the hurricane within resonating throughout the venue.
Halsey made sure to hit the more notable songs from the album including “Castle,” “Hold Me Down,” and “New Americana.” The first two she sung in the beginning of the set that boosted the already energetic vibe in House of Blues. “New Americana” was Halsey’s closing song accompanied by confetti cannons from both ends of the stage. She spoke before that song, declaring that it was written for those different from the norm in America that defy the stereotypes. The message is powerful and impactful; to the youth of America, society is forever changing and developing, and it is on the current generation to continue to create a wider acceptance of all types of people. Those three hits are arguably her most popular, but Halsey made sure to pack her set that was only a little over an hour with almost every song off of her album.
Halsey performed “Hurricane” after a brief speech about New York, specifically Brooklyn. Though the song begins with details about a boy, the main character is Halsey. In the chorus, she sings, “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.” In the middle of the song, she explained that this song’s message is a reminder that you do not belong to anyone but yourself. Out of all the songs on her album, this encapsulates Halsey the best. Her intense dedication to her career combined with an extremely unique set of beats and lyrics create a female monster that is defying the girly girl stereotype.
Halsey has no filter. She says “fuck.” She does not wear floral patterns. However, she is gorgeous in a way that many female artists cannot accomplish. Her sexiness is derived from the edgy yet inviting vibe of her music and herself. Halsey owns a beautiful contrast of her pixie cut and airy speaking voice with a nitty-gritty performing style and extremely honest lyrics. She is exactly what the chorus describes in “Hurricane.” Her growing fan base should be extremely excited for the next time Hurricane Halsey blows through Boston; next time, it’s arena style.