In a blink, the lights have all turned off in the Vic Theatre, and no one makes a sound. Friends look at each other, anxious, and then look ahead. 1, 2, 3. The lights flash and Halsey saunters on to the stage. A united scream erupts within the large crowd.

Clad in a revealing top and joggers, Halsey’s dyed-blonde, pixie haircut shines in the foggy air, as she jumps from side to side, keeping her audience on their toes. The first song, “Gasoline,” is known to be a fan-favorite, and Halsey delivers it perfectly. Her energy is truly felt all around, as her lyrics are sung fiercely, and she makes sure to make eye contact with as many as she can.

Ashley Frangipane, 21, — known by her stage name, Halsey — is a fairly new musician, as her first “electropop” album made its debut this year. However, her first headline tour, “Badlands,” based off of her album, has become more common among young adults, as her tour is completely sold out. Frangipane has also become a voice for people who are LGBT+ and has proved to be an unapologetic feminist, inspiring young people internationally.

Halsey lived up to expectations, as she bathed the crowd in her raw vocals, and smoothed it over through melodic vocals and heavy beats. After every song, she left her audience in a trance, still in the motion of jumping and chanting her name with the loudest voices they could manage.

Her music touches on a variety of themes, including unrequited love, unhealthy relationships, or the fear that comes with them, drug abuse, violence, self-harm, and other critical issues that arise as one grows older. However, she takes all these themes and transforms them into a form of understanding, of hope. Halsey emphasized, between every song, how lucky everyone is to be breathing in that one theatre, together, and how situations will always get better.

As a strong advocate for minorities everywhere, during the Chicago concert, Frangipane constantly touched on what young people are capable of. This emphasis on youth-oriented change created a united environment of people who came to jump together to Halsey’s powerful lyrics.

She ended with her song “New Americana,” an anthem for the audience, who scramble to reach for the confetti that had blown out of the confetti cannons. Each confetti paper had her face on them, as a representation of “Badlands.” The song itself is about taking initiative and believing in a change, as young adults, although many do not take youth seriously. By chanting “We are the new Americana,” the youth in the crowd connected with the lyrics. Halsey left the stage dramatically, only to come back for an encore.

As she sang the final song, “Young God,” the audience took its last chance to dance and sing and scream. 1, 2, 3. The lights turn off, and then the moment is over. The crowd screams their final “I love you!” and sees Halsey’s shadow take a final bow.