by Halsey has become one of the most popular pop artists of this generation. Known for hits like “Without Me,” “Closer,” and “Eastside,” she has sold over 150 million records worldwide. However, behind the fame and success lies a challenging upbringing that has undoubtedly shaped who Halsey is today. While private about her personal life, the New Jersey native has alluded to financial struggles, family instability, and health issues during her formative years. These experiences seem to have inspired many of the themes in her music around mental health, self-discovery, and persevering against adversity. Let’s take a deeper look into Halsey’s upbringing and how it may have influenced her rise to stardom.
Family Life
Halsey, whose real name is Ashley Frangipane, was born in 1994 in Edison, New Jersey. Not much is known about her early family life, but she has stated that her parents divorced when she was young. In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, she said “My parents got divorced when I was 15. That was really hard.” (Rolling Stone, 2017) Going through a divorce as a teenager is challenging for anyone and likely contributed to feelings of instability during Halsey’s formative years. Without the support of an intact family unit, she had to learn self-reliance and independence at a young age.
The theme of fractured families appears frequently in Halsey’s music. In her hit “Without Me,” she sings “My mom, my dad, went off without me.” On “Colors,” another popular track, the lyrics describe “watching my parents split.” Clearly, the divorce had a profound impact on Halsey and shaped her perspective on relationships. After the split, she bounced between living with her mother in New Jersey and her father in Florida. This nomadic lifestyle added another layer of inconsistency during her upbringing.
Financial Struggles
In addition to family instability, Halsey faced economic hardship growing up. While details are scarce, she has alluded to financial difficulties that added stress. In a 2017 interview with The Fader, she said “I grew up really poor, so I had to figure out really early how to survive on my own.” (The Fader, 2017) Living in poverty as a child and teen is psychologically taxing, as basic needs may not always be met. It can also limit opportunities and access to resources.
Halsey expanded on these struggles in a 2018 Rolling Stone profile, saying “My parents didn’t have money for new clothes…I had to figure out how to dress myself and present myself to the world without any money at all.” (Rolling Stone, 2018) She also talked about occasionally being homeless as a teenager, crashing on friends’ couches when she had nowhere else to go. The pressures of poverty undoubtedly weighed on Halsey during pivotal development stages. Again, these hardships seem to have inspired her music. Songs like “Castle” and “Finally // beautiful stranger” touch on themes of financial insecurity and social marginalization. Halsey channeled her experiences with lack into anthems of resilience.
Medical Challenges
On top of family and financial issues, Halsey battled health problems from a young age. She has been candid about living with bipolar disorder, which she received a diagnosis for as a teen. In numerous interviews, Halsey describes the mental anguish of bipolar episodes, which involve shifts between mania and depression. The disorder brought immense emotional turmoil, especially without access to proper treatment or a support system in her formative years.
Halsey has also opened up about having Meniere’s disease, a inner ear condition causing vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she said the disease’s onset was during her late teens/early 20s, bringing disorienting physical symptoms on top of her mental health struggles. (Rolling Stone, 2018) Living with these medical conditions, which likely began manifesting during her tumultuous upbringing, added another layer of adversity.
However, Halsey has said her bipolar diagnosis ultimately helped shape her artistic identity. During manic phases, she experiences bursts of creativity and hyper-productivity. This fueled her songwriting and rise as an indie artist. While the disorder brought anguish, it also nurtured her talents. Halsey’s music often touches on themes of mental illness, like “Nightmare,” “Graveyard,” and “More.” She uses her platform to raise awareness and advocate for others struggling with similar conditions.
Finding Solace in Music
With so much instability in her personal life, Halsey found refuge in music from a young age. She started playing violin in elementary school and singing in her high school choir. Songwriting became an outlet to process her emotions. As a teen, she began posting covers and original songs to social media under the moniker Halsey, which she chose as a play on her first name. Her raw, confessional style resonated and gained a following.
After graduating high school, Halsey moved to New York City at age 17 to pursue music full-time. She immersed herself in the DIY scene, playing shows at local venues and self-releasing EPs. Her breakthrough came in 2014 with “Room 93,” which garnered millions of YouTube views and caught the attention of Astralwerks Records. This led to her debut studio album “Badlands” in 2015, which propelled Halsey into the mainstream.
Songs like “New Americana,” “Colors,” and “Gasoline” showed her gift for blending pop hooks with lyrical depth. The album addressed many of the hardships she faced growing up through metaphor and symbolism. It seemed to be her way of gaining catharsis and inspiring others with similar backgrounds. Halsey had successfully channeled a difficult upbringing into a thriving career in music. Her raw talent and perseverance in overcoming adversity fueled a meteoric rise.
Continuing to Share Her Story
In the years since, Halsey has cemented her status as a multi-platinum selling artist. Subsequent albums like “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” and “Manic” delved further into her personal life experiences and struggles with bipolar disorder. She uses her platform to advocate for mental health issues, performing at charity events, fundraising, and using her own story to break stigma. Halsey also speaks candidly about overcoming insecurities from her impoverished upbringing in interviews.
While private about specifics, Halsey clearly draws inspiration from her family instability, financial troubles, and health issues as a young person. These experiences seem to have imbued her music with deep empathy, resilience, and a desire to empower others. Even as her fame grows, she remains dedicated to using her story to help those facing similar adversity. Halsey is a testament to how overcoming challenges can cultivate profound artistic vision and compassion. Her journey from difficult upbringing to superstardom serves as an inspiration for others to transform hardship into triumph through their passions and talents.
