Halsey Debuts Darkly with ‘Badlands’

American electro-pop rebel Halsey’s debut, Badlands, is about as dark and seductive as mainstream pop gets. Thick with booming bass lines, spooky synths, and skull-rattling beats, the pastel goth sound captures the torments and triumphs of youth in a catchy and creepy way. “Colors” is a beautiful synesthetic love song, while the angry “Control” sounds cut from a horror movie. Some might find it a little melodramatic, but you might be too old — this is anthemic music for all young souls who raise a middle finger to boundaries, binaries, and bigoted bullies. Teenage angst hasn’t sounded so good in a while.