Badlands

In just one year Halsey has gone from making music in her New Jersey bedroom to selling out massive venues. The 20-year-old has gathered hundreds of thousands of followers before even releasing her debut album, which is finally out. This is an artist who possesses a massive, superstar presence but an utter absence of bombast. Her voice is restrained and delicately affected but still weighty enough to fill even the biggest stadium. She is deeply connected to her art but not remotely pretentious. She explores dark emotion with a brooding demeanor but remains youthfully enthusiastic at all turns. Halsey's sound is a little Lana Del Rey, a little Lorde, and even a little Taylor Swift. She stands out with excellent electronic production (provided by her boyfriend, Norwegian producer Lido) and a push for social progress.