Halsey

Halsey
Name	Halsey
Caption	Halsey in 2021
Birth name	Ashley Nicolette Frangipane
Birth date	29 September 1994
Birth place	Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Singer, songwriter
Years active	2014–present
Label	Astralwerks, Capitol Records
Associated acts	The Chainsmokers, Juice Wrld, BTS, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Website	iamhalsey.com

Halsey is an American singer and songwriter known for her confessional songwriting and genre-blending musical style. Rising to prominence in the mid-2010s, she has achieved significant commercial success with multi-platinum albums and chart-topping singles. Her work often explores themes of mental health, bisexuality, and personal trauma, earning her a dedicated global fanbase and critical acclaim.

Early life and education

Ashley Nicolette Frangipane was born in Edison, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Clark. Her mother worked in the emergency room and her father managed a car dealership. She has two younger brothers. From a young age, she showed an interest in music, learning to play the violin, viola, and cello before teaching herself acoustic guitar. During her teenage years, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, an experience that would later deeply influence her artistry. She attended New York University for a brief period but dropped out due to financial constraints, subsequently moving through various residences while working low-wage jobs and beginning to post her music online.

Music career

Her career began in earnest after she posted a song, "Ghost", to SoundCloud in 2014, which led to a contract with Astralwerks. Her debut studio album, Badlands (2015), was a critical and commercial success, debuting at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and eventually being certified double platinum by the RIAA. This was followed by her collaborative hit "Closer" with The Chainsmokers in 2016, which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her subsequent albums, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017) and Manic (2020), continued her chart dominance, with the latter featuring the number-one single "Without Me". Her fourth studio album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (2021), produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, marked a significant artistic shift towards industrial rock and earned a Grammy nomination. She has also contributed to major soundtracks for films like The Huntsman: Winter's War and A Star Is Born, and performed at major events including the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and the MTV Video Music Awards.

Artistry and public image

Halsey's music traverses genres including electropop, alternative pop, and indie pop, with later work incorporating rock and industrial music. Her lyrical content is intensely personal, frequently addressing her struggles with mental health, relationships, and her identity as a bisexual woman. She is noted for her dynamic vocal style, which ranges from singing to rapping. A prominent figure in LGBT advocacy, she has used her platform to speak on issues ranging from reproductive rights to racial justice. Her public image is characterized by a bold, ever-evolving aesthetic in both fashion and music videos, and she maintains a direct, unfiltered connection with fans through social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter.

Personal life

She has been open about her relationships, which have included highly publicized romances with musicians such as G-Eazy and Yungblud. In 2021, she announced her pregnancy and the birth of her son, Ender Ridley Aydin, with screenwriter Alev Aydin. She has been candid about her health challenges, including her endometriosis diagnosis, for which she underwent surgery, and her experiences with miscarriage, topics she has addressed in her music and advocacy. She is also a published author, having released a book of poetry, I Would Leave Me If I Could, in 2020.

Discography

* Badlands (2015) * Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017) * Manic (2020) * If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (2021)

Awards and nominations

Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including multiple MTV Video Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards. She has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, including for her work on "Closer" and her album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. Other recognitions include a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist and the Human Rights Campaign's Visibility Award for her advocacy.

Category:American pop singers Category:21st-century American singers Category:Musicians from New Jersey