Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
Halsey is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter who I think has great pop star potential. I found her music videos and lyrics for singles Ghost and Hurricane a bit try-hard and self-consciously provocative, but as they are pretty good pop tunes, I gave her one more chance and watched a live video of a stripped-back version of Hurricane. This made all the difference. Without the distracting contrived edginess, Halsey (an anagram of her real name, Ashley) is a pretty young female singer with a lovely subtle, smokey voice and strong songwriting skills. I hope this side of her becomes more prominent as her career progresses, as I think it gives her a better chance of connecting with a wider audience. It’s a competitive time for female solo electro-pop artists, and it’s true talent and individuality that will define the next breakthrough star.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH4fHNipaEk]