Nightmare is a song by singer-songwriter Halsey that was released on May 17, 2019, through Capitol Records. It is a standalone track was originally intended to be the lead single for the singer's album Manic, but it was scrapped.
Lyrically, Nightmare is a nu metal trap song that talks about a dedication to young women and explores with themes of self-acceptance and sexual freedom.
Halsey begins to recite the original version of children's Christian bedtime prayer by the New England Primer newspaper saying:
Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord, my soul to keep If I shall die before I wake I pray the Lord, my soul to take
Then, she continues on the chorus with:
I, I keep a record of the wreckage in my life I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind They talk s**t, but I love it every time And I realize
Before coming in really hard on the first verse singing:
I've tasted blood and it is sweet I've had the rug pulled beneath my feet I've trusted lies and trusted men Broke down and put myself back together again
And again, on the pre-chorus:
"Come on, little lady, give us a smile" No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for A moment to say I don't owe you a goddamn thing
The singer starts to make mention of her experiences as a young woman on the second verse with the lyrics:
I've been polite, but won't be caught dead Lettin' a man tell me what I should do with my bed
But, it's the bridge where Halsey fully embraces her unruly character as she sings:
Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware But I'd rather be a real nightmare, than die unaware, yeah Someone like me can be a real nightmare, completely aware But I'm glad to be a real nightmare, so save me your prayers
I just love the aggressive tone that Halsey portrays on this song Nightmare. The singer is showing everyone that she is not afraid to speak her mind when it comes to female empowerment and being in rage.
Buy and stream Nightmare on Google Play, Apple Music, Spotify and more:
Colors (Stripped) is a stripped down version of Halsey's hit song "Colors" from her debut album Badlands (2015) that was released on April 22, 2016. It features a slower beat and some new lyrics unlike the previous version of this track.
Halsey sings beautifully on the first verse with:
Your little brother never tells you but he loves you so You said your mother only smiled on her TV show You're only happy when your sorry head is filled with dope I hope you make it to the day you're 28 years old
Then, she continues on the chorus with the lyrics:
Everything is blue His pills, his hands, his jeans And now I'm covered in the colors Pulled apart at the seams And it's blue And it's blue
The singer can be heard talking on the bridge saying:
Art is not what I create What I create is chaos
I am loving these stripped down songs by Halsey so far. Especially, this one for her song "Colors". In my opinion, it's ten times better than the original version. The production, which was handled by Dylan William, is so amazing but at the same time, though, very different.
Buy, listen or stream Colors (Stripped) on all streaming platforms available:
With just only one day away before Christmas, I have decided that I want to do a little introduction for you guys to Ariana Grande's second holiday EP titled "Christmas & Chill". The singer released this Christmas extended play on December 18, 2015 as the follow-up to her 2013 EP "Christmas Kisses".
Intro serves as the opener to Grande's Christmas & Chill EP. She sings over a trap music beat with the lyrics:
Welcome to this Christmas Only comes one time a year, don't miss this I just wanna welcome you to Christmas Let me sneak into your speakers, listen I'll be singing, "Oh, oh, oh, oh" I'll be singing, "Oh, oh, oh, oh"
Wit It This Christmas
This song finds Ariana trying to make her mate happy on the first verse with:
Come and kiss me, baby We don't need no mistletoe We don't need no fireplace Boy, I'll keep you nice and warm, hey
Before she starts making some sexual references to him on the pre-chorus singing:
Are you down for some of these milk and cookies? Down for loving, you'll be my drummer boy And I'm the only drum that you gonna play, hmm
On the chorus, Grande is sending an invitation to her man and letting him know that she's down for whatever he wants to do with the lyrics:
Are you wit it, are you with it? Are you wit it this Christmas, baby, let me know Are you wit it, are you with it? Are you wit it this Christmas?
December
December is about wanting to keep your bae nice and cozy especially when it's cold outside. Which is, exactly what Ariana is doing the same time to her boyfriend, just like she did on the previous track "Wit It This Christmas", on the pre-chorus singing:
I'm just tryna keep my baby warm through the wintertime I'm just tryna give you something to remember through the summertime And whatever is on your list, I'll do it Boy, whatever it is, you know I'll do it Uh, yeah
Grande breaks into a very catchy chorus on the song with the lyrics:
Merry Christmas, here I am, boy Gonna love you, gonna give you all I can, boy Merry Christmas, here I am, boy I'm the present and you know it, here I am, boy Merry Christmas, here I am, boy
Not Just On Christmas
Not Just On The Christmas is a short but yet slow and soulful song by Ariana as she talks about the importance of being there for your loved ones all year around and not just on Christmas.
The singer also does an interesting take on the wedding vow "for better or worse" on the third verse with:
Baby, whether rain or shine Naughty or nice I'm by your side
Then, she moves into the chorus on the track singing:
I'll love you till I die, boy Every day of my life I celebrate you, baby I adore you, not just on Christmas
True Love
On "True Love", the singer puts her own spin on a classic Christmas coral with the lyrics:
On that first day of Christmas When you gave me all them kisses Boy, you showed me things Come hold me, please, and never let me go On that second day of Christmas Said you felt like something's missing So you promised me that promise ring to keep 'til we get old, boy
Then, Grande refers to her lover as "her true love" singing on the chorus:
Look at all the things my true love gave to me My true love, my true love You are my true love Look at all the things my true love gave to me My true love, my true love You are my true love
Winter Things
Winter Things is the last song on Christmas & Chill. The track starts off with a ukulele as Grande sings about refusing to let the warm weather ruin her time with her man on the first verse with:
It ain't even cold outside, not where I'm from Feeling like it's mid-July under the sun My jacket don't get no love, no hats and no gloves, not even a chance to rain But my baby's in town and we're gonna do some winter things
Then, Ariana continues on the chorus singing:
Hey, yo I wanna pretend we're at the North Pole Turning the heat into an ice cold holiday Made just for me and my baby My baby's in town and we're gonna do some winter things, hey
I love this Christmas & Chill by Ariana. It's much better than her previous one "Christmas Kisses", in my opinion. I enjoyed the experience of where Christmas music meets R&B and trap on this extended play.
So, make sure that you buy or stream Christmas & Chill everywhere on Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify and more now:
Closer is a song by DJ Duo The Chainsmokers and singer Halsey that was released on July 29, 2016, through Disruptor Records and Columbia Records.
Lyrically, Closer is a future bass pop song that celebrates both youth and heartbreak. Andrew Taggart, one of the members of The Chainsmokers, sings about dealing with a breakup on the pre-chorus with the lyrics:
I know it breaks your heart Moved to the city in a broke down car And four years, no calls Now you're looking pretty in a hotel bar And I can't stop No, I can't stop
And then, Taggart continues on the chorus with:
So, baby, pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover That I know you can't afford Bite that tattoo on your shoulder Pull the sheets right off the corner Of the mattress that you stole From your roommate back in Boulder We ain't ever getting older
Halsey comes in being the opposite to Andrew singing:
You look as good as the day I met you I forget just why I left you, I was insane Stay and play that Blink-182 song That we beat to death in Tucson, okay
I love this song by The Chainsmokers and Halsey. It's very catchy and the meaning behind it all and the fact that it was inspired by I Miss You by Blink-182 is downright amazing.
Christmas Tree Farm is a Christmas single by singer Taylor Swift that was released on December 6, 2019. This is the first Christmas-themed music that the singer has ever put out since her 2007 EP titled The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection.
On the first verse, Swift begins to reminisce about growing up on Christmas tree farm back in Wyoming, Pennsylvania singing:
In my heart is a Christmas tree farm Where the people would come To dance under sparkling lights Bundled up in their mittens and coats
Then, Taylor continues on the chorus with the lyrics:
Under the mistletoe Watchin' the fire glow And tellin' me, "I love you" Just bein' in your arms Takes me back to that little farm Where every wish comes true
I just absolutely love the meaning behind this track about the singer remembering what it was like on a Christmas tree farm when she was a little girl. The lyrics and the production were right on point along with the art cover, which features a young Swift holding a white dog. So cute!
Buy/stream Christmas Tree Farm on all streaming platforms now:
Senorita is a song by singers Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello that was released on June 21, 2019. The song is included on the deluxe edition of Mendes' self-titled third studio album and also on Cabello's second studio album Romance.
Lyrically, Senorita is a steamy latin pop track that tells the story of two people falling in love with each other. Mendes and Cabello take turns exchanging verses.
Camila opens up the chorus with the lyrics:
I love it when you call me señorita I wish I could pretend I didn't need ya But every touch is ooh la la la It's true, la la la
Then, Shawn comes in and gets a little sensual on the first verse with:
Sapphire moonlight We danced for hours in the sand Tequila sunrise Her body fit right in my hands, la la la It felt like ooh la la la, yeah
On the chorus, Mendes and Cabello show off their chemistry singing:
Ooh, you know I love it when you call me señorita I wish it wasn't so damn hard to leave you But every touch is ooh la la la It's true, la la la Ooh, I should be running Ooh, you keep me coming for ya
Senorita is my favorite song by Shawn and Camila. I like the Latin music influences and how both of the singers' voices were perfect on this track. If you're a fan of Shawn and Camila's 2015 collaboration "I Know What You Did Last Summer" , then you're definitely going to love "Senorita".
Buy or stream Senorita on all streaming platforms now:
Badlands (stylized in all caps) is the debut album by singer-songwriter Halsey that was released on August 28, 2015, by Astralwerks. The singer wrote every song on the album when she was just 19 years old, while the production for Badlands was handled by Norwegian producer Lido along with others.
Badlands experiments with different musical genres like electropop, dark pop, alternative pop, synth-pop and also features some industrial music undertones within the album.
Castle
Castle opens the main gates as listeners prepare to enter into the Badlands. A booming metropolis where Halsey talks about her state of mind.
She opens up the first verse with:
Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it
Then, on the chorus, Halsey refers to breaking down the barriers of male domination and wants to be the ruler of her 'kingdom' singing:
I'm headed straight for the castle They wanna make me their queen And there's an old man sitting on the throne That's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
Hold Me Down
On "Hold Me Down", the singer reminds us that no matter how small people may make you seem, you shouldn't let anyone hold you down.
Halsey sings on the first three lines with the lyrics:
My demons are begging me to open up my mouth I need them, mechanically make the words come out They fight me, vigorous and angry, watch them pounce
The criticism that the singer has faced for being different and her thoughts of self doubt are mentioned here on the chorus singing:
Hold me down, hold me down Sneaking out the back door, make no sound Knock me out, knock me out Saying that I want more, this is what I live for
New Americana
New Americana has been described by Halsey as "a song about a generation that is not afraid of diversity" as she sings on the first verse:
Cigarettes and tiny liquor bottles Just what you'd expect inside her new Balenciaga Vile romance, turned dreams into an empire Self made success now she woes with Rockefellers
Then, Halsey continues on the chorus with the lyrics:
We are the new Americana High on legal marijuana Raised on Biggie and Nirvana We are the new Americana
Drive
On "Drive", the singer touches on a love that lives within boundaries.
Halsey kicks things off on the first verse with the lyrics:
My hands wrapped around your stick shift Swerving on the 405, I can never keep my eyes off this My neck, the feeling of your soft lips Illuminated in the light, bouncing off the exit signs I missed
Then, she moves on to the chorus with:
All we do is drive All we do is think about the feelings that we hide All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign Sick and full of pride All we do is drive
Roman Holiday
Roman Holiday might be considered as Halsey's most underrated song to date. The track was inspired by the 1953 film of the same name starring Audrey Hepburn and shows the singer reflecting on her real life.
She sings on the first verse:
Do you remember the taste of my lips That night I stole a bit of my mother's perfume? 'Cause I remember when my father put his fist Through the wall that separated the dining room
Then, Halsey continues on the chorus with the lyrics:
And we know that we're headstrong And our heart's gone And the timing's never right But for now let's get away On a Roman holiday
Colors
Colors is an alternative pop song that talks about falling out of love with someone because they have changed so much as a person.
Halsey makes mention of Matt Healy, the lead singer of The 1975 on the first verse singing:
Your little brother never tells you but he loves you so You said your mother only smiled on her tv show
Then, she lets her feelings for her lover be known on the pre-chorus with:
You're dripping like a saturated sunrise You're spilling like an overflowing sink You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece And now I'm tearing through the pages and the ink
The singer is still remaining true to herself despite the relationship that she is in with the lyrics:
Everything is blue His pills, his hands, his jeans And now I'm covered in the colors pull apart at the seams And it's blue And it's blue
Coming Down
Coming Down is where Halsey mentions the particular characteristics of her lover with the usage of drugs and the topics of religion, just like she did on her previous song "Colors".
On the pre-chorus, she sings:
Now we're lost somewhere in outer space In a hotel room where demons play They run around beneath our feet We roll around beneath these sheets
Halsey moves into the chorus with:
I've got a lover a love like religion I'm such a fool for sacrifice It's coming down, down, I'm coming down It's coming down, down, I'm coming down
Haunting
The song Haunting portrays a much darker side for the album as Halsey wants her former lover to continue to haunt her since she's been cold when he left.
She sings on the first verse:
I was as pure as a river But now I think I'm possessed You put a fever inside me And I've been cold since you left
Before continuing on the chorus with the lyrics:
I'm begging you to keep on haunting I'm begging you to keep on haunting me I'm begging you to keep on haunting I know you're gonna keep on haunting me
Control
Control is the singer's most emotionally song to date as she talks about the personification of her bipolar disorder, which is something that Halsey has been opened about since being diagnosed with it in her teenage years.
The first verse begins to describe the uphill battle taking place in her mind as she sings:
The house was awake, the shadows and monsters The hallways, they echoed and groaned
I sat alone, in bed till the morning I'm crying, "They're coming for me" And I tried to hold these secrets inside me My mind's like a deadly disease
Then, Halsey appears to be in the middle of an episode on the chorus with the lyrics:
And all the kids cried out, "Please stop, you're scaring me" I can't help this awful energy God damn right, you should be scared of me Who is in control?
Young God
On "Young God", Halsey shows herself being in a happy relationship with a man. For some, "Young God" could be interpreted as a sequel to the singer's hit song "Ghost", where she is searching for a passionate romance.
The tracks opens up with a reversed intro:
Tnavresbo eht era evol ni desruc reveroF
Liated eht ot evals a reveroF
But when you put all of the words together, it reveals a special message from Halsey:
Forever cursed in love are the observant
Forever a slave to the detail
She starts things off on the first verse with:
He says, "Ooh, baby girl, you know we're gonna be legends I'm a king and you're a queen and we will stumble through heaven If there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes I know you wanna go to heaven, but you're human tonight"
On the pre-chorus, the singer is getting deep and personal with the lyrics:
And I've been sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool For a while now, drowning my thoughts out with the sounds
Before Halsey continues on the chorus singing:
But do you feel like a young god? You know the two of us are just young gods And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath And they're running, running, running
Ghost
Ghost serves as the final track for the Badlands album. Lyrically, the song is about the loss of a passion that you had with your ex-lover as Halsey sings on the pre-chorus:
You say that you're no good for me 'Cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve And I swear I hate you when you leave I like it anyway
Before she gets into a very catchy chorus on the track with the lyrics:
My ghost Where'd you go? I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me My ghost Where'd you go? What happened to the soul you used to be?
So, here is my take on Halsey's album Badlands. I love how she covered so many topics on this record such as her personal life like bipolar disorder, religion, drugs, current and past relationships, etc. There was not one bad song on the album that stuck out with me. My personal favorites are Colors, Haunting, Drive, New Americana and Hold Me Down.
I recommend that you listen to this album by Halsey from beginning to end because you don't know what you're missing out with this very talented singer right here.
