Ashley Nicolette Frangipane (born September 29, 1994), known professionally as Halsey (/ˈhɔːl.zi/), is an American singer and songwriter. Her stage name is a reference to the Halsey Street station of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, and an anagram of her first name. Gaining attention from self-released music on social media platforms, Frangipane was signed by Astralwerks in 2014. She toured with acts such as The Kooks and Imagine Dragons to promote her debut extended play, Room 93 (2014). Her debut studio album Badlands (2015) was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Four singles were released from the album, all of which achieved minor commercial success. Halsey achieved heightened success with the release of "Closer" (2016), a collaboration with The Chainsmokers. The song topped the charts in major music markets. Her second studio album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017), consisted of more "radio friendly" music than her prior releases. The album topped the US Billboard 200, marking her first number one album in the country. The album was preceded by the release of "Now or Never", which became her first top 20 entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. She embarked on the Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour to promote the record.