Badlands cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

Badlands Songwriting Credits by Halsey

2015 Astralwerks 11 tracks 40 min

Produced by Lido, The Futuristics, Captain Cuts, Tim Anderson, Kalkutta, Larzz Principato, Aron Forbes, Charlie Hugall, Dylan Scott, Dylan William  ·  Engineered by Dan Grech-Marguerat, Pete Lyman

Astralwerks ElectropopAlt-popDark popSynth-pop
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Halsey carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
11 trackswritten by Halsey 0 tracksoutside writers
Halsey's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
19
Lyricists
14
Producers
520,000
US Copies Sold
2015
Released
Data Insight

Halsey, born Ashley Frangipane, wrote every song on Badlands as a teenager and into her nineteenth year, making this debut a strongly self-authored work built around a personal concept narrative. She co-wrote with her producers rather than handing songs to outside hitmakers, with Lido serving as executive producer and a frequent writing partner. Additional production came from teams including The Futuristics, Captain Cuts, Tim Anderson, and Dylan William, but the lyrical voice across the record is consistently hers. New Americana incorporates an interpolation of Mtume's Juicy Fruit, which adds Mtume to that song's writing credits.

Halsey's debut studio album, released August 28, 2015. Built largely around collaborations with Norwegian producer Lido (Peder Losnegård), Badlands established Halsey's dystopian, electropop aesthetic. All 11 standard-edition tracks were co-written by Ashley Frangipane. 'New Americana' includes a writing credit for James Mtume reflecting a sampled element. The album was preceded by the viral SoundCloud track 'Ghost,' which appears as the closing track. Badlands peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum in the US.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Castle
HalseyLido Ashley FrangipanePeder Losnegård Lido Halsey (Lead Vocals)
2
Hold Me Down
HalseyJoseph KhajadourianAlex SchwartzRyan Lott Ashley FrangipaneJoseph KhajadourianAlex SchwartzRyan Lott The FuturisticsLido Halsey (Lead Vocals)
3
New Americana #60
HalseyLarzz PrincipatoChandra UberJames Mtume Ashley FrangipaneLarzz PrincipatoChandra UberJames Mtume LidoKalkuttaLarzz Principato Halsey (Lead Vocals)
4
Drive
HalseyTim Anderson Ashley FrangipaneTim Anderson Tim AndersonLidoAron ForbesChris Spilfogel Halsey (Lead Vocals)
5
Roman Holiday
HalseyRyan McMahonBenjamin Berger Ashley FrangipaneRyan McMahonBenjamin Berger Captain Cuts Halsey (Lead Vocals)
6
Colors
HalseyDylan Bauld Ashley FrangipaneDylan Bauld Dylan WilliamLido Halsey (Lead Vocals)
7
Coming Down
HalseyJustyn Pilbrow Ashley FrangipaneJustyn Pilbrow Justyn PilbrowLido Halsey (Lead Vocals)
8
Haunting
HalseyCharlie HugallRob TortelliChris Hugall Ashley FrangipaneCharlie HugallRob TortelliChris Hugall S.A.Charlie HugallLidoHeavy Mellow Halsey (Lead Vocals)
9
Control
HalseyRoy KerrTim Bran Ashley FrangipaneRoy KerrTim Bran Lido Halsey (Lead Vocals)
10
Young God
Halsey Ashley Frangipane LidoDylan WilliamHeavy Mellow Halsey (Lead Vocals)
11
Ghost
HalseyDylan Scott Quagliato Ashley FrangipaneDylan Scott Quagliato Dylan Scott Halsey (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 30 contributors

AF
Ashley Frangipane
Writer
On this album11 written
H
Halsey
Writer · Vocals
On this album11 written
L
Lido
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
CH
Charlie Hugall
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
JP
Justyn Pilbrow
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
LP
Larzz Principato
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
TA
Tim Anderson
Writer · Producer
On this album1 written
AS
Alex Schwartz
Writer
On this album1 written
BB
Benjamin Berger
Writer
On this album1 written
CU
Chandra Uber
Writer
On this album1 written
CH
Chris Hugall
Writer
On this album1 written
DB
Dylan Bauld
Writer
On this album1 written

More from Halsey

2017 100%
Hopeless Fountain Kingdom
Astralwerks
13 tracksProd. Lido
2020 100%
Manic
Capitol Records
16 tracksProd. Halsey
2021 100%
If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power
Capitol Records
13 tracksProd. Trent Reznor
2024 100%
The Great Impersonator
Columbia Records
18 tracksProd. Halsey

Frequently Asked Questions Badlands

Did Halsey write Badlands herself?
Yes. Halsey wrote every song on Badlands, working on the material as a teenager into her nineteenth year. She co-wrote with her producers rather than bringing in outside songwriters, so the album is strongly self-authored. The record functions as a personal concept project centered on a fictional dystopian setting.
Who wrote New Americana by Halsey?
New Americana was written by Halsey along with Larzz Principato and Kalkutta, with production by Lido. The song interpolates Mtume's Juicy Fruit, so Mtume is also credited as a songwriter. It became the album's highest-charting single.
What is the highest-charting single from Badlands?
New Americana is the highest-charting single from Badlands, peaking at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The other promotional and lead tracks, including Colors and Castle, did not reach the main Hot 100 chart. New Americana was later certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Who produced Badlands by Halsey?
Lido served as executive producer and worked on much of the album. Other producers included The Futuristics, Captain Cuts, Tim Anderson, and Dylan William. Halsey co-wrote with these collaborators across the record.
What genre is Halsey's Badlands?
Badlands is primarily an electropop and alt-pop album, often described with the terms dark pop and synth-pop. The sound leans on moody synthesizers and atmospheric production. It supports a concept narrative running through the tracklist.
Was Ghost the first single from Badlands?
Ghost was Halsey's debut single, released on July 28, 2014, ahead of the album. It built early attention for her on streaming services before Badlands arrived. It later appeared on the album as the closing track.
Is Badlands by Halsey certified Platinum?
Yes. Badlands was certified Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, reaching 2x Platinum in the United States. As of June 2017 the album had sold around 520,000 pure copies in the US, with streaming and equivalent units pushing the certification higher.
What is the song Colors from Badlands about?
Colors is a track from Badlands released as a single on February 9, 2016. It was certified multiple times Platinum in the United States. It charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 rather than the main Hot 100.

Sources

Wikipedia: Badlands (Halsey album) Wikipedia: New Americana MusicBrainz release-group search: Halsey Badlands Cover Art Archive: Badlands front cover RIAA Gold & Platinum database: Halsey Cover Art Archive: Badlands by Halsey