#septissues

BØRNS left the stage and now it was time to wait for Halsey. The waiting did not take a lot, and the combination of a nicely-designed playlist (with artists such as Twenty One Pilots, The 1975 or The Wombats) and Halsey’s punctuality made time pass by quickly.

Everyone in the room, leaded by Halsey, started singing Gasoline. They all knew that it was going to be a night to remember, so they sang their lungs out, reaching the point where anyone could think Razzmatazz was going to fall down. Hold Me Down, Castle and Strange Love followed, and a devoted audience put their hands in the air to the rhythm of Haunting. Although the concert was almost cancelled due to Halsey’s almost inexistent voice (you could notice when she talked), she did her very best and sang every single word as if she was alright.

If there is something to highlight about Halsey’s performance is the beautiful representation of her music in a visual spectacle full of colors, patterns, shapes and images which, in combination with her sound, brings you to a different reality, the dystopian universe around which the concept of the album is created, the one that she calls ‘Badlands’. If you go to one of her concerts, you will definitely visit Badlands, like it or not. And it is a surreal and magical place that you will never want to leave.

Halsey brought confidence, sensuality and happiness to the stage, and she was always showing her gratitude to the people that brought her where she is. She constantly said that her fans are everything to her, and she asked for several ovations for her band, her fans and for BØRNS. This union of a fearless attitude and love is what will make this girl go far.

The end of the concert arrived with a song that is now an anthem, New Americana, and the crowd sang along every single word of it. Halsey was suddenly gone, but she appeared singing her very last song of the night, Young God. Everyone was a bit confused and surprised, because the show had only taken 65 minutes for 15 intense songs.

All in all, it was a radical experience. I have been to a lot of concerts and I have rarely felt the connection I felt that night with a vocalist. Sometimes it is not just the lyrics or the music, but the attitude you have on stage and the chemistry with the audience. And Halsey has all of it with her.

Patricia C. patriciacabeza.com

“I don’t think there’s ever been a hit song about a party being lame” Taylor Swift told Alessia. (Taylor Swift did in fact interview Alessia. And it is glorious. You need to watch it). Here is such a hit, and it made me curious as to what else I could find in Know-It-All, her debut album.  

As a whole, the album has a conceptual vibe to it, based on the title. All of her lyrics are portrayed from a confident point of view. She knows what she wants, the risks of love, and manages to turn what would be considered a love song (I’m Yours) into almost a brawl towards the guy.

/Some nerve you have, to break up my lonely and tell me you want me/

How awesome are those lyrics?  It is such a refreshing point of view, and it can make anyone feel confident in their decisions. It may not be one of the most solid or award-worthy albums in your collection, but that’s not what matters sometimes. Sometimes you just want to listen to something fun and light. Plus, the quirky lyrics are the cherry on top.

My personal picks from the album are Outlaws (I feel like her unique voice shines even brighter here), I’m Yours (as I said before, such an original concept for a love song) and Stone (sweet, guitar, slow, right up my street).  

Now, I don’t really agree with the “role model” concept, and I definitely do not like that the word is so easily thrown around. However, Alessia delivers a message that I truly wish I had listened to when I was a teen. When I listened to Scars to your Beautiful, I couldn’t help but think “Wow, where were you when I needed you?” Yes, there are plenty of self-love anthems but I had never felt such a personal connection with one before.

/ She has dreams to be an envy, so she’s starving / You know, “covergirls eat nothing” / She says “beauty is pain and there’s beauty in everything” / “What’s a little bit of hunger?” / “I could go a little while longer”, she fades away / She don’t see her perfect, she don’t understand she’s worth it / Or that beauty goes deeper than the surface

I can only hope that this song reaches thousands of young girls who lose themselves whilst on the journey towards reaching society’s beauty standards. Plus, Alessia is such an easy-going, authentic girl that watching her interviews makes you wish she was your older sister. It even happens to me and I am older than her.

As a conclusion, I can assure you that we are going to hear more from Alessia Cara. I truly encourage everyone who has never listened to her to start with Here, and if you are already into the song, to give Know-It-All a spin. Let’s support authentic women who refuse to live their lives under labels and conforming to the cookie-cutter music industry.