Hot off the heels of her radio-ruling hit “Closer” with The Chainsmokers, Halsey is continuing her stride on the radio waves even ruling the red carpet. Think the 2017 Billboard awards where she and the “Don’t Let Me Down” dudes swept the ceremony with their noteworthy wins. Now on her own solo path, Halsey is taking charge and gaining even more momentum. Leading off with her upfront talk/rap/sing vocal swag on lead radio single “Now or Never," Hopeless Foundation Kingdom from one of pop’s latest EDM darlings.
Dubsteppin’ her way through some forward-sounding EDM-influenced tracks and more, Halsey makes good use of her breathy vocals over the course of the Hopeless Foundation Kingdom LP. “Alone” is a majestic disco-tinged house number that glides righteously along as Halsey sings earnestly in a vocal that at times goes into a semi-rap and spoken word delivery. Meanwhile, “Sorry” channels classic 80s Kate Bush with its full-on emo vocal drama and very melodic, lush piano-driven soundscape. Getting some co-writing assistance from The Weeknd, “Eyes Closed” exudes dark R&B-influenced synthpop elegance thanks to tight production work from Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat and Happy Perez
Halsey is gracefully leading the charge of EDM pop princesses. There’s definitely more to her music pallet though as showcased across Hopeless Foundation Kingdom. From techno-tinged R&B to progressive power ballads, there’s a lot going on with Halsey’s musical journey. And it’s certainly one worth taking.
