Badlands (Halsey album)

Badlands
Studio album by Halsey
Released August 28, 2015 (2015-08-28)
Recorded 2014–15
Genre
Length 40:03
Label
Producer
Halsey chronology
Room 93
(2014)		 Badlands
(2015)
Singles from Badlands
  1. "Ghost"
    Released: October 27, 2014
  2. "New Americana"
    Released: July 10, 2015
  3. "Colors"
    Released: February 9, 2016
  4. "Castle"
    Released: April 8, 2016

Badlands is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Halsey, released on August 28, 2015 by Astralwerks and Capitol.[1][2] Badlands debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 97,000 copies. The album was preceded by the digital release of two singles, "Ghost" and "New Americana". The third single from the album, "Colors", was released on February 9, 2016. A new version of the song "Castle" was released as the album's fourth single to promote the feature film, The Huntsman: Winter's War.

Title and music

The name "Badlands" is a reference to Halsey's state of mind while writing the album, to give a physical place as a metaphor for a desolate and lonely mind.[3] Musically, the album is mainly rooted in electropop,[4][5][6] alternative pop,[7] and synthpop.[8]

Production

According to Halsey, Badlands is a concept album that focuses on the fictional dystopian society known as The Badlands. The city is surrounded by a desert wasteland, keeping the inhabitants of The Badlands captive.[9] The album was inspired by post-apocalyptic movies such as The Fifth Element. After writing the first few songs, Halsey came to the realization that the entire concept was a metaphor for her mental state. Halsey states that she created the Badlands as an escape from her real life struggles. In her opinion, the metaphor was that even with no escape, there is still optimism that there is somewhere else to go.[9] The album was executive produced by Lido.[10]

Singles

"Ghost" was released as Halsey's debut single on October 27, 2014, with an accompanying music video filmed in Tokyo, which was directed by Malia James and Ryan Witt.[11] "Ghost" was released to radio on April 7, 2015.[12] Halsey announced "New Americana" as the second single from the album, which was officially released on July 10, 2015.[13] The official music video for "New Americana" came out on September 25, 2015.[14] "New Americana" peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100.[15] "Colors" serves as the official third single. It was released to alternative radio on February 9, 2016.[16] The fourth single, "Castle", was released on April 8, 2016, along with a soundtrack version for the film The Huntsman: Winter's War.[17]

Reception and commercial performance

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Alternative Addiction[19]
Charleston Gazette-Mail(favorable)[20]
NoiseyA-[21]
Pitchfork Media4.9/10[22]
Rolling Stone[23]
The State Journal-Register(favorable)[7]

Signposted by its prominent chart visibility on iTunes, Badlands amassed a healthy number of preorder sales ahead of its release. Per a Hits Daily Double report, nearly 40,000 by August.[24] The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with a total of 115,000 units (97,000 in pure album sales) which marked the highest charting album released by the Astralwerks record company so far.[25]

Elsewhere, the album debuted at number two in Australia, number three in New Zealand and Ireland, number five in the Netherlands and reached the top 10 in both the United Kingdom and Belgium (Ultratop Flanders).

In a review for Pitchfork, Nathan Reese wrote "Reading interviews with Halsey you get the sense of a canny and talented performer, one who legitimately wants to connect with fans. But the public persona only comes through on Badlands in fits and starts, and there isn't a single subversive or original second on the album." About the chorus on "New Americana", he commented "Like most of Badlands, it's calculated, defiant, and, ultimately, hollow."[22] In a short review, Rolling Stone's Joe Levy called Halsey a "new popstar with a knack for sticky imagery".[23] The album was included at number 6 on Rock Sound's top 50 releases of 2015 list.[26]

Track listing

Badlands – Standard edition[27]
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Castle"  
Lido 4:37
2. "Hold Me Down"  
The Futuristics 3:24
3. "New Americana"  
Lido 3:03
4. "Drive"  
  • Anderson
  • Aron Forbes[a]
  • Chris Spilfogel[a]
 4:18
5. "Roman Holiday"  
Captain Cuts 3:21
6. "Colors"  
  • Frangipane
  • Dylan Bauld
Dylan William 4:09
7. "Coming Down"  
  • Frangipane
  • Justyn Pilbrow
Pilbrow 3:43
8. "Haunting"  
  • Charlie Hugall
  • Heavy Mellow[a]
 4:20
9. "Control"  
Lido 3:34
10. "Young God"  Frangipane
 3:00
11. "Ghost"  
  • Frangipane
  • Dylan Scott Quagliato
Scott 2:33
Total length:
 40:03
Notes
Sampling credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of Badlands.[31]

  • Halsey – vocals
  • Tim Anderson – all instruments (except guitar), programming (track 4); production (tracks 4, 5)
  • Jason Aron – management
  • Sarah Barlow – photography
  • Jayda Brown – children's choir (track 3)
  • Captain Cuts – production (track 6)
  • Ryan Del Vecchio – A&R administration
  • Aron Forbes – additional production, guitar (track 4)
  • The Futuristics – production (track 2)
  • Dan Grech-Marguerat – additional programming, mix
  • Emma Gunn – children's choir (track 3)
  • Levi Gunn – children's choir (track 3)
  • Heavy Mellow – additional production (tracks 12, 15)
  • Garrett Hilliker – art direction
  • Charlie Hugall – production (track 12)
  • Tim Larcombe – production (track 10)
  • Merit Leighton – children's choir (track 3)
  • Anthony Li – management
  • Lido – production (tracks 1, 3, 13–15); additional production (track 10); executive producer
  • Pete Lyman – mastering
  • Sam Miller – production (track 16)
  • Justyn Pilbrow – production (track 11)
  • Mason Purece – children's choir (track 3)
  • Steve Schofield – photography
  • Dylan Scott – production (track 7)
  • Trevor Simpson – production (track 16)
  • Chris Spilfogel – additional production, additional programming (track 4)
  • Jeremy Vuernick – A&R
  • Dylan William – production (tracks 8, 9); additional production (track 15); vocal production (all tracks)
  • Yung Gud – additional production (track 10)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[32] 2
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[33] 18
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] 28
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[36] 3
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[37] 19
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[38] 5
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[39] 36
French Albums (SNEP)[40] 75
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[41] 37
Greek Albums (IFPI)[42] 43
Irish Albums (IRMA)[43] 3
Italian Albums (FIMI)[44] 34
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[45] 3
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[46] 22
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[47] 10
Scottish Albums (OCC)[48] 7
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[49] 53
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[50] 13
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] 26
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 9
US Billboard 200[53] 2
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[54] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2015) Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[55] 88
US Billboard 200[56] 98

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[57] Gold 40,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[58] Gold 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[60] Platinum 1,000,000[61]

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s)
Worldwide August 28, 2015[62]
Philippines June 17, 2016[63] CD

References

Citations
  1. ↑ "Halsey Announces New Album BadlJAands For August 2015 Release | mxdwn.com". Music.mxdwn.com. Retrieved 2015-08-29.
  2. ↑ "Halsey 'Badlands' Out Now". Capitol.
  3. ↑ Morris, Jessie (2015-07-10). "Halsey Talks Her New Album, 'Badlands'". Complex. Retrieved 2015-08-29.
  4. ↑ Coscarelli, Joe (August 5, 2015). "Halsey, With 'Badlands,' Is Moving Fast to Share a Secret Language". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Disc review: Halsey - Badlands". Buffalo.com.
  6. ↑ "ALBUM: Halsey-'Badlands'". CaliberTV.
  7. 1 2 Donelan, Michael (October 14, 2015). "Album review: Halsey's debut 'Badlands' shows promise of a new star". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  8. ↑ Sperounes, Sandra (August 31, 2015). "Album Review: Halsey, Badlands". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Halsey (September 9, 2015). "Halsey Interview With Shelley Rome" (Interview). Shelley Rome. New York City, New York: WHTZ.
  10. ↑ "Art-Pop Singer Halsey on Being Bipolar, Bisexual and an 'Inconvenient Woman'".
  11. ↑ Gracie, Bianca (October 27, 2014). "Halsey's "Ghost" Video Is A Hazardous Affair: Idolator Premiere". Idolator.com. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  12. ↑ "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  13. ↑ Szubiak, Ali (July 10, 2015). "Halsey Name-Checks Biggie and Nirvana in 'New Americana'". PopCrush.com. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  14. ↑ Adams, Chanel (September 25, 2015). "Halsey releases music video for New Americana". Inquistir.com. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Halsey Chart History". Billboard.com.
  16. ↑ Cantor, Brian. ""COLORS" SET AS HALSEY'S NEXT SINGLE; ALTERNATIVE RADIO IMPACT DATE ANNOUNCED". Headline Planet.
  17. ↑ "Castle (The Huntsman: Winter's War Version) – Single by Halsey". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  18. ↑ Collar, Matt. "Badlands – Halsey". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Album Review of Badlands by Halsey | Alternative Addiction". Alternative Addiction. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  20. ↑ Woody, Ali (October 1, 2015). "REVIEW: Nothing bad about Halsey's "Badlands" album". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  21. ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 1, 2016). "Ladies First: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Noisey. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  22. 1 2 Reese, Nathan (September 2, 2015). "Halsey: Badlands". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  23. 1 2 Levy, Joe (August 28, 2015). "Badlands". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  24. ↑ Cantor, Brian (2015-08-21). "Halsey's "Badlands" Preorder Sales Total Nears 40K Mark". Headlineplanet.com. Retrieved 2015-08-29.
  25. ↑ "Halsey's "Badlands" Debuts at #2 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  26. ↑ Bird, ed. 2016, p. 28
  27. ↑ "Badlands by Halsey". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  28. ↑ "BADLANDS (Deluxe) by Halsey". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  29. ↑ "ホールジー - Halsey - バッドランズ - UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN". Universal Music (JPN). Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Halsey Online Store". Virgin EMI Store.
  31. ↑ Badlands (deluxe edition liner notes). Halsey. Astralwerks. 2015. 00602547360359.
  32. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Halsey – Badlands" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Halsey – Badlands" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Halsey – Badlands" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Halsey – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Halsey. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Halsey – Badlands" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Halsey: Badlands" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Halsey – Badlands" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 41/2015)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  43. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 36, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  46. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  48. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Halsey – Badlands". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  52. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Halsey – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Halsey. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  54. ↑ "Halsey – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for Halsey. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  55. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 2015". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums : Dec 31, 2015 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  57. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Halsey – Badlands". Music Canada. May 9, 2016.
  58. ↑ "Certificaciones – Halsey" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. December 1, 2016.
  59. ↑ "British album certifications – Halsey – Badlands". British Phonographic Industry. May 27, 2016. Enter Badlands in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  60. ↑ "American album certifications – Halsey – Badlands". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  61. ↑ Trust, Gary (November 17, 2015). "Halsey's 'New Americana' Finds Acceptance at Adult Radio". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  62. ↑ "BADLANDS (Deluxe) by Halsey". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  63. ↑ "Halsey - Badlands (deluxe)". Retrieved 13 June 2016.
Sources
  • Bird, Ryan, ed. (January 2016). "Top 50 Releases of the Year". Rock Sound. London: Freeway Press Inc. (208). ISSN 1465-0185. 
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