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Hannah Chebeleu

Halsey pauses to see the crowd during "Colors."

If I had gone around campus last year asking who Halsey was, I would have gotten the same response from most, “Who?” But hours before leaving for her concert last week, I started boasting that I was going and got responses like,  “OMG! You’re so lucky!” “I HATE YOU!”

After the release of her debut album “Badlands” in late August, which led her to fame, indiepop singer Halsey performed last Monday at The Fillmore in San Francisco.

With tickets sold out and fans waiting in line since 1 a.m. to get the best place to stand inside the venue, The Fillmore proved to be just the place to host someone like Halsey, especially with its one of a kind traditions of handing out posters and apples as everyone leaves the venue.

Once the doors opened, waves of smiling fans pushed their way to listen to Halsey’s opening act: Flor, an indie-pop band from Oregon.

Capturing everyone’s attention with its energy and uniqueness, Flor’s performance was perfect to watch before Halsey came on. With some artists, their music sometimes mimics that of other artists, but with Flor, that was not the case. Flor’s music was its own and simply captivated for the short time they were on stage.

The lights turned off. Fans started screaming. It was time for Halsey, and I had never felt so pumped. Opening with “Gasoline,” my personal favorite, Halsey set the tone perfectly for “Badlands”- which Halsey says is a description of her own mind. “Are you insane like me? Been in pain like me?”

Halsey’s sweet yet powerful voice transformed her dark lyrics into an indescribable feeling. The night kept getting better and better, especially when Halsey paused to sing “Drive,” a love song that fans sang along to.  Hearing it released every tension in my own body. I put away my phone and quit recording, just to listen to the lyrics and feeling them completely.

Colors. Hurricane. New Americana. Halsey’s top and final three of the concert had everyone moving around and singing to every single lyric. With all of the lights and special effects, “Colors” was brought to life. “Hurricane,” Halsey explained, sends the message to  her fans that they do not belong to anyone. “New Americana” defines our generation with its references to drugs and sex. Put bluntly (no pun intended), “New Americana” is a badass teenager who was made into lyrics.

Halsey’s performance did not surprise, but I loved it. Her majestic music has captured me since I first listened to “Hurricane.” It changed me. Walking into The Fillmore I was away from the everyday top 40.  Halsey’s lyrics, melodies and her feel make her like no other artist, and she definitely made that show at last week’s concert.