The Millstone Times June 2022

NJ Stars -Halsey By, Surabhi Ashok Have you heard of the song “Eastside”? “Without Me”? What about “Closer”? All of these hit radio songs are by Halsey, a talented singer who was actually born in Edison, New Jersey! Using she/they pronouns, the 27-year-old artist has quickly gained worldwide success after her first released song “Ghost” on SoundCloud and later her debut EP Room 93. Halsey was on the radio before she even got signed onto a label; her fame grew so fast! Their first album Badlands reached Number Two on the Billboard 200 chart, and their next three albums Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017), Manic (2020), and If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (2021) attained even higher rankings and sales in the first week of release. Halsey wasn’t always Halsey. Before she made it as a singer, she was Ashley Nicolette Frangipane. Ashley’s family, which consisted of her, her parents, and her two younger brothers, moved a lot throughout her childhood, and she graduated fromWarren Hills Regional High School in Washington, NJ. Halsey, however, became their stage name after a street in Brooklyn that they used to spend a lot of time on growing up. Halsey, an anagram of Ashley, “is

kind of like a manifestation of all the exaggerated parts of ” them, representing who they truly are and resonate with. Halsey has been very open with her fans regarding her personal life. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 17 years old. She has come out as bisex ual, having had, and singing about both her relationships with men and women. They have also discussed their experiences with being biracial, having a black dad and white mom, and being white-passing. Especially during the Black Lives Matter movement that sparked in 2020, they shared their frustra tions, sympathies, and personal encounters on social media, urging people to care. Halsey also announced the birth of her first child Ender Ridley Aydin on July 14, 2021 with her screenwriter boyfriend Alev Aydin. After her history with miscarriage, this was a greatly celebrated moment for her. In fact, her newest album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power details the “joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth”.

Halsey has accomplished so much in her career already! Signing with As tralwerks and having more creative freedom with their songwriting, Halsey believes they have thrived in the record label. In 2016, Halsey won the Rising Star award by Billboard Women in Music, performed on “Saturday Night Live” and even hosted an episode of the show, and is a multi-platinum sing er/songwriter. One of her songs, “Closer” by Halsey and the Chainsmokers, was nominated for a 2017 Grammy for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance”. Aside from music, Halsey has also delivered the keynote speech at Glam our’s 2018 Women of the Year event. Voicing Wonder Woman in the movie “Teen Titans Go!” and Porsha Crystal in “Sing 2” to name a few, Halsey has entered the film industry as well. With more than 7 billion streams globally, Halsey is not stopping in her career anytime soon! Source: https://www.nj.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/02/271df8327e5160/who-is halsey-what-to-know-about-the-nj-without-me-singer-who-is-hosting-and performing-on-snl.html https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/halsey-29890.php https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/inside-halseys-trou bled-past-chaotic-present-97968/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/07/19/ halsey-welcomes-first-child-gives-birth-boyfriend-alev-aydin/7894401002/ https://www.songhall.org/awards/winner/halsey

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