In 2014, Halsey hit the road with The Kooks, sharing her original tunes. Her EP, “Room 93,” dropped later that year, making a modest buzz on the charts.

The music scene was buzzing about her in 2015, especially after she rocked South by Southwest and became the night’s most talked-about performer on social media.

She toured with Young Rising Sons, opened for Imagine Dragons, and then dropped her debut album, “Badlands,” in August 2015. The album was like her own mental movie—a dystopian society, a metaphor for her state of mind. Critics loved it, even though it didn’t have a radio chart-topper. Still, it hit #2 on Billboard 200 and made waves globally.

Her album’s singles—”Ghost,” “New Americana,” “Colors,” and “Castle”—all went Platinum in the US. “New Americana” even made it to the Billboard Hot 100.

Then, in 2016, everything skyrocketed when she joined forces with The Chainsmokers for “Closer.” That song was everywhere! It dominated the charts for weeks, became a Spotify hit, and even got her a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

2018–2021: Manic and If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

Halsey’s move to Capitol Records marked a big step after “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.” Her track “Without Me,” released in October 2018, was super personal. The music video even featured someone who looked a lot like her ex, G-Eazy, post-breakup. And guess what? It became her first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, a massive milestone!

The following year was a whirlwind of music adventures. She teamed up with Juice WRLD for a remix of “Without Me,” jammed out with Yungblud and Travis Barker on “11 Minutes,” and collabed with BTS for “Boy with Luv.” She rocked the stage on Saturday Night Live as both host and performer, teasing her album “Manic” along the way.

Between all the album hype, she kept dropping singles like “Nightmare” and “Graveyard,” and even announced her “Manic World Tour.” Oh, and for her birthday, she treated fans to “Clementine.” Her SNL encore in 2020 was a blast, showcasing tunes from “Manic” and showing off her comedy chops in sketches.

2017–2018: Hopeless Fountain Kingdom

Before “Badlands” hit, Halsey was brewing up her second album. In 2016 and 2017, she teased fans with tracks like “Not Afraid Anymore” from “Fifty Shades Darker” and the lead single “Now or Never,” hitting number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Then came “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” on June 2. This time, she aimed for radio-friendly tunes, eager to prove her knack for airwave hits. Inspired by her breakup with Lido and a Romeo and Juliet vibe, the album soared to the top of charts. Sales of 106,000 units in the first week scored it Platinum, making Halsey the first woman with a number one album in 2017.

On the “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour,” she surprised fans with DJ sets at Emo Nite in LA. “Bad at Love” and her G-Eazy collab “Him & I” were chart-toppers, going 4× Platinum and grabbing a 2× Platinum certification, respectively.

Halsey wasn’t done yet. “Alone,” certified Platinum, got a revamp with Big Sean and Stefflon Don. Her collab “Eastside” with Benny Blanco and Khalid also rocked the charts, hitting number nine and bagging 2× Platinum in the US.

After “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom,” Halsey shifted to Capitol Records, dropping her raw and personal track, “Without Me,” in 2018. This one soared to the top, making it her first solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100, sweeping up platinum certifications worldwide.

The following year was a whirlwind of collabs and releases. From jams with Juice WRLD and Yungblud to joining forces with BTS for “Boy with Luv,” she lit up screens and stages. Hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live, Halsey brought her A-game, drawing in a new wave of fans.

All the while, she teased her third album, “Manic,” landing in early 2020. Singles like “Nightmare” and “Graveyard” rocked the charts, setting the scene for her epic Manic World Tour. Halsey’s creative burst extended beyond music, dropping a poetry book and a live album titled “Badlands (Live from Webster Hall).”

Then came 2021, and Halsey unleashed her fourth studio album, “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.” Produced by the talents behind Nine Inch Nails, the album and its accompanying film scored rave reviews. Despite lacking a mega-hit single, it secured Gold certification and made its mark on the Billboard 200 chart.

2022–present: “So Good” release controversy and departure from Capitol

In 2022, Halsey made a song called “So Good.” But Capitol Records delayed its release, aiming to check its TikTok appeal first. Frustrated, Halsey took to TikTok on May 22, 2022, upset that Capitol wouldn’t drop the song without a big TikTok push.

Just before that, Halsey shared a sneak peek of the track on TikTok against Capitol’s wishes. This sparked talk about potential legal action, but lawyer Erin M. Jacobson suggested Capitol might not sue since they still intended to collaborate with Halsey. Plus, using a short clip for promotion might not lead to legal trouble.

Under mounting pressure, Capitol backed down on May 31, 2022, setting a release date for “So Good” on June 9, 2022. Some suspected a clever marketing move, but Halsey clarified it was a real issue.

This incident highlighted label pressures for artists to succeed on TikTok, sparking discussions on the challenges musicians face in the social media era.

Personal life

Halsey’s love life has seen a few noteworthy connections! Before her music career took off, she dated a woman and has been open about being bisexual since 2021, using both “she/her” and “they/them” pronouns.

Her dating history is quite the mix. She had a thing with English musician Matty Healy until around 2015. They met at a concert by his band, The 1975, which Halsey was totally into. She even mentioned he played a big part in her early music journey. Then there was Norwegian producer Lido, who was her partner from 2015 to 2016. He worked on her Badlands album and influenced some parts of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.

In 2017, she hooked up with American rapper G-Eazy. Their musical collaboration “Him & I” was all about their love story and lifestyle. Things went on-and-off until they called it quits in 2018. That hit made its way into her song “Without Me.” After that, she dated English musician Yungblud from late 2018 to 2019 and American actor Evan Peters from 2019 to 2020.

Jump to June 2021, and Halsey welcomed a son with Alev Aydin, a Turkish-American screenwriter. Although they split, Halsey filed for primary physical custody of their son in 2023 to bring him on her tours while sharing the parenting responsibilities with Alev.

And guess what? In 2023, Halsey started dating actor Avan Jogia. Love keeps finding its way!