Since her startling debut in 2014, Indie-pop superstar Halsey has been an undeniable force to be reckoned with. Whether it’s new music or a new hairdo, she’s always finding ways to keep us on our toes and we just can’t help but wonder what’s coming next. Here are 10 things you should know about pop’s favourite chameleon.
1. Halsey isn’t actually her name
This isn’t your typical Madonna or Prince case as Halsey was actually born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane. If you haven’t caught on yet, Halsey is an anagram of her first name. It’s also a reference to Halsey Street, a station of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn where she spent a lot of time as a teenager.
2. She kind of became famous for being a fangirl
Much like we all did in 2012, Halsey frequented YouTube and Tumblr and began posting videos of herself singing covers to the social platforms. But the one that gave her the most popularity was her parody of Taylor Swift’s ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ which talked about Taylor’s then relationship with Harry Styles, a relationship that ‘Harry-Styles-stan’ Halsey wasn’t a big fan of. The video has since been removed by Halsey, but fans aren’t quick to forget how the star really started out.
3. Her debut single ‘Ghost’ was a SoundCloud miracle
In 2014, after meeting a “music guy” at a party, Halsey recorded ‘Ghost’ and chucked it up on SoundCloud for the world to hear. Within hours of it being posted the song had gone viral and Halsey was being contacted by multiple record labels. The rest is history!
4. She spent a few of her teenage years in homeless shelters
After a few financial hardships and home troubles after high school, Halsey found herself homeless in New York for a period of time. This particular time in her life is used as constant inspiration for her songwriting and it’s also made her widely relatable to all her fans.
5. She openly struggles with bipolar disorder
Diagnosed when she was 17 after a suicide attempt, Halsey has been battling her mental health ever since. Since the beginning of her music career she has been nothing but open about her bipolar disorder, discouraging the stigmas around it and hoping fans will be able to relate. It’s also something that her mother struggles with. Halsey has admitted that singing and performing helps her manage the symptoms.
#WorldMentalHealthDay 🖤🖤🖤 pic.twitter.com/9sXwbMzHOc
— h (@halsey) October 10, 2018
6. She’s a strong activist
One of the things that gives Halsey her controversial edge is her passion for speaking up. Never one to shy away from anything, Halsey has openly supported feminism, the LGBTQ community, equal rights, abortion laws and sexual assault. Ensuring that fans know of her own personal struggles, Halsey aims to use her platform to help others in similar situations.
7. She’s openly bisexual
A passionate ally of the LGBTQ community, Halsey has admitted that she herself is bisexual. As well as supporting community organisations and LGBTQ causes, themes depicting her sexuality come across heavily in her music.
Happy #NationalComingOutDay! ya girl is #OutAndProud. Here’s a throwback of me covering @papermagazine’s PRIDE Issue! One of the 🏳️🌈proudest🏳️🌈 moments of my life! 💖💜💙 pic.twitter.com/PX1hy4tFyD
— h (@halsey) October 11, 2018
8. She’s an amazing artist
Not only does Halsey turn her music into art, she’s pretty familiar with a paint brush. Claiming it to be her second favourite artistic medium to music, Halsey constantly shares images of her paintings on her social media accounts for fans to admire. She was even briefly enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design before her fame. If you haven’t already, check out her incredible SNL performance from earlier this year where she paints a self-portrait … upside down.
9. She has a pretty big friend list
Chances are you’ve heard of Halsey without even trying to and that’s partially due to her features and appearances. The star has collaborated with The Chainsmokers, G-Eazy, BTS, Khalid and Justin Bieber, to just name a few. She’s also pretty friendly with celebs like Ariana Grande, Cara Delevingne, 5SOS, Bella Hadid and Taylor Swift. We’re not really surprised though, who wouldn’t want to be besties with Halsey?
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxv1oulplZs/
10. She’s coming to Bay Dreams!
Halsey is returning to NZ to play at the summer fest Bay Dreams and to say we’re excited is an understatement. We’ve provided the facts, now it’s your turn to study up and play her music on repeat until Jan. We’ll see you there 👍
Make sure you check out Halsey’s newest track ‘Graveyard’, releasing this Friday 13th September!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YGs7e0APs934ohswH21dz?si=BTgko7GRRpeLoZvkBHXGTw
