Halsey’s Badlands and the Importance of Live Albums
In a world where concerts don’t exist, live albums are more important than ever. Those who miss waiting in line all day, standing in the pit with sweat dripping down their face, and screaming the words to their favorite songs are turning to live albums and old videos to fill the void in their heart that was once occupied by concerts. For many, concerts are not just a fun activity but a community and place of belonging. Music fans across the world are longing for a taste of that again. Halsey’s most recent release, Badlands (Live from Webster Hall), places fans back into their own shoes just a year ago. The album, recorded May 2019 at Webster Hall in New York City, is a re-release of the singer’s debut studio album from 2015. The show was part of a two night special; Badlands was to be performed in full one night, and Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, the singer’s sophomore album, performed in full the following night. Listeners that have not seen Halsey live may be surprised by her performance energy. Although she is seemingly soft through her music/singing style in the studio as well as her aesthetics, her live performances truly show how she is capable of doing a complete 180. Halsey can be found on stage passionately shouting her lyrics, swearing at the crowd to get them excited, aggressively jumping around (and occasionally into the crowd), and giving every ounce of energy she possibly has in her. She steps on stage in a large band t-shirt, thick Doc Marten boots cemented to her tiny feet, and a mischievous grin on her face. With flames around her and fire in her eyes, Halsey is ready to tackle the world and some more once on stage. Nightmare, released about a week after Badlands (Live from Webster Hall) was recorded, is one of the few songs that capture Halsey’s live performance energy and places it in a recorded and produced setting. Halsey also displays how much she has grown vocally in only four years. Her voice on Badlands (Live from Webster Hall) is much stronger and stable than the original Badlands. On songs such as Control, the singer can be heard sustaining her last notes while not stumbling nor faltering once. Other songs, such as Haunting and Roman Holiday, sound much more powerful live than on the recorded Badlands. The truth is that Halsey in 2015 would not be able to sing so stable and with the same grittiness that 2019/2020 Halsey sings with at all. It is years of experience and practice that make her a musical powerhouse. Halsey also releases this album at the perfect time. Released in celebration of the fifth anniversary of her debut album, fans now have a place to relive a night to remember while stuck at home. Halsey, who had to cancel an extensive tour this year due to Covid-19 like many other artists, gives her fanbase a place to travel mentally when unable to physically. The passionate crowd is heard singing just as loud, if not louder at some points, than Halsey herself. It gives music fans hope to hear that crowd in 2020. Other bands should consider releasing live albums of previous work for the foreseeable future. Even if it’s live in studio with no crowd, there is something about the rawness and sometimes imperfectness of a live performance that is comforting for music fans. It is not polished and nitpicked; a live performance is a celebration of music and community. Music fans in 2020 are desperately asking for that celebration, and there is only one group of people that can provide any ounce of relief in this time: musicians.
Written by Hannah Kozak
