Unless you've been living under a rock, chances are you have heard the song "Closer" by The Chainsmokers. This catchy tune has ruled the airwaves for the past couple of months and has undoubtedly earned the title "Song of the Summer" for 2016. As familiar as you might be with the song, you might not know much about the guest artist on the song. For the past year, this artist's music has been the soundtrack to almost all of my car rides.

In August of 2015, I was scrolling through Spotify on my laptop and clicked on the recommended artists tab. One of the suggestions was someone named Halsey. I didn't know anything about her, but I thought her blue hair looked pretty cool so I checked her out. After hearing her song "Hold Me Down," I was immediately hooked. Her voice was inimitable and I loved the intensity of her emotions in the song. The lyrics also struck a personal chord with me with their message of striving for better outcomes and overcoming detrimental habits. For the next couple of days, I had to stop myself from listening to the song more than two times a day.

In the following weeks her debut album, Badlands, was released. The album as a whole is an emotional roller-coaster that I always can't wait to jump back on. Tracks like "Castle" and "Young God" boast an admirable sense of arrogance in disregarding the opinions of critics and taking the world by storm. She delves into the loss of emotional connection in past relationships with both "Ghost" and "Colors," talking in both songs about how the person (she was in a relationship with) has changed irrevocably for the worse. However, she bounces back to jittery feelings of uneasy love and hope in songs like "Drive" and "Roman Holiday." Each take their own spin the uncertainty of the road ahead and the certainty of one traveling the road alongside her. The most definitive aspect of her musical persona comes out in "New Americana," boldly celebrating her own personal identity and that of her generation's. Her music catalog explores themes of emotional vulnerability and youth culture in today's society, making her a unique force in the world of music.

A year after discovering "Hold Me Down," one of my best friends (who I successfully converted into a Halsey fan) and I attended her sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. Its pretty unfathomable to think in the course of a couple years she went from being homeless to selling out the world's most famous arena. Her debut performance at the arena was nothing short of notably remarkable, in part because she restarted the show after two and a half songs due to a malfunctioning backdrop screen. Her stage presence was mesmerizing and inspiring all at the same time, reminding her audience multiple times that everyone was safe to be proud of who they are. She even brought The Chainsmokers out to sing "Closer." When the concert ended, I was inevitably a little sad, but even more overjoyed knowing this certainly wouldn't be the last time I would see her perform to thousands of screaming, adoring fans. Halsey is here to stay and I can't wait to see what she has in store.