Ashley Nicolette Frangipane ( FRAN-jih-PAH-nee; born September 29, 1994), known professionally as Halsey ( HAWL-zee), is an American singer and songwriter. Gaining attention from self-released music on social media platforms, she was signed by Astralwerks in 2014 and released her debut EP, Room 93, later that year. Halsey's debut studio album, Badlands (2015), was certified platinum, along with four of its singles. In 2016, she rose to stronger prominence as a featured vocalist on The Chainsmokers' single "Closer", which topped the charts of over fifteen countries and was later certified Diamond in the US. Her second studio album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017), consisted of more "radio friendly" music than her previous releases. It topped the Billboard 200 and featured two US top-20 singles: "Now or Never" and "Bad at Love". Halsey's third studio album, Manic, was released in 2020. Its lead single, "Without Me", became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. Halsey has sold 22 million records in the US alone, based on certifications alone. Her awards and nominations include four Billboard Music Awards, one GLAAD Media Award, a Guinness World Record, a MTV Video Music Award and a Grammy Award nomination. Halsey is noted for her distinctive singing voice, and her music is usually based on her personal experiences. Outside of her career, she has been involved in suicide prevention awareness and sexual assault victim advocacy.