Halsey has been one of my favorite singers/performers since I first heard her back in 2015, when I was a little emo youngin. Halsey took Chicago's stage with hundreds, if not thousands, of fans in awe of the production she created this past November 14th, 2017.
For me, this concert was a long process in the making. I had followed her story and waited just like any other fan, looking into every single clue and snippet I could get my hands on. Once the project was revealed in all its glory, I couldn't stop listening to it. If you remember, it was on my top albums of 2017.
Similar to the first time I saw her, she took the stage with a bang, coming out with sulky hits Eyes Closed, Hold Me Down, and Heaven in Hiding. Though some came from HFK, I felt like I was back in the Badlands era, surrounded by dark synth beats and moody lights. Big screens (With your face all made up, living on a screen...) and a long staircase made Allstate Arena in Illinois feel like an LA house party, which is exactly what Halsey wanted.
Suddenly, the mood shifted. We went from sulky, rebounding at a house party, carefree people to reminiscent self reflecting exes within the transition between Roman Holiday and Bad at Love and Alone. Both songs show an attempt to apologize for how she's changed, as shown in The Prologue, "They told me once, don't trust the moon. She's always changing, the shores bend and break for her."
Bad at Love is a list of the almost-loves and the ones that got away, singing that she's simply bad at love and can't make anything work. Alone is a warning to future lovers, "I know you're dying to meet me... as soon as you meet me, you'll wish you never did." Halsey is one of the best performers I've ever seen, she makes a whirlwind of emotions transition seamlessly with hard to miss visuals and choreography that gives a hyperbolized story to an explosive breakup. She makes any arena seem like her house.
Our self reflection caused by Bad at Love and Alone did not last long, with another mood switch to regret. Sorry, Angel on Fire, and Lie showed of the dust settling after a long battle, within a relationship and ourselves. Halsey showed her own reflection and tied it back to the beginning with a dark mood in Angel on Fire, "They came again in the night... Now I'm faded away, you know I used to be on fire, I'm standing in the ashes of who I used to be."
Drive, Is There Somewhere, and Colors tied together another sad, but reminiscent tone throughout the packed stadium. Visuals continued with continuing themes from her album, with bees and angel wings, mostly covered in red and yellow.
Overall, Halsey's HFK performance is one of the best I have ever seen. The visuals connecting to the songs and concept of the album tied together every snippet or millisecond of exposure fans got beforehand. Halsey danced and sang her heart out for two hours with full passion and meaning. She's come a long way from opening acts to now her own stadium tour, and she's only going up from here.
For me, this concert was a long process in the making. I had followed her story and waited just like any other fan, looking into every single clue and snippet I could get my hands on. Once the project was revealed in all its glory, I couldn't stop listening to it. If you remember, it was on my top albums of 2017.
Similar to the first time I saw her, she took the stage with a bang, coming out with sulky hits Eyes Closed, Hold Me Down, and Heaven in Hiding. Though some came from HFK, I felt like I was back in the Badlands era, surrounded by dark synth beats and moody lights. Big screens (With your face all made up, living on a screen...) and a long staircase made Allstate Arena in Illinois feel like an LA house party, which is exactly what Halsey wanted.
Suddenly, the mood shifted. We went from sulky, rebounding at a house party, carefree people to reminiscent self reflecting exes within the transition between Roman Holiday and Bad at Love and Alone. Both songs show an attempt to apologize for how she's changed, as shown in The Prologue, "They told me once, don't trust the moon. She's always changing, the shores bend and break for her."
Bad at Love is a list of the almost-loves and the ones that got away, singing that she's simply bad at love and can't make anything work. Alone is a warning to future lovers, "I know you're dying to meet me... as soon as you meet me, you'll wish you never did." Halsey is one of the best performers I've ever seen, she makes a whirlwind of emotions transition seamlessly with hard to miss visuals and choreography that gives a hyperbolized story to an explosive breakup. She makes any arena seem like her house.
Our self reflection caused by Bad at Love and Alone did not last long, with another mood switch to regret. Sorry, Angel on Fire, and Lie showed of the dust settling after a long battle, within a relationship and ourselves. Halsey showed her own reflection and tied it back to the beginning with a dark mood in Angel on Fire, "They came again in the night... Now I'm faded away, you know I used to be on fire, I'm standing in the ashes of who I used to be."
Drive, Is There Somewhere, and Colors tied together another sad, but reminiscent tone throughout the packed stadium. Visuals continued with continuing themes from her album, with bees and angel wings, mostly covered in red and yellow.
Overall, Halsey's HFK performance is one of the best I have ever seen. The visuals connecting to the songs and concept of the album tied together every snippet or millisecond of exposure fans got beforehand. Halsey danced and sang her heart out for two hours with full passion and meaning. She's come a long way from opening acts to now her own stadium tour, and she's only going up from here.