"Gasoline" is a song by American singer and songwriter Halsey. The track is included on the deluxe edition of her debut studio album Badlands (2015). It was written by Halsey and Lido; the latter also producing the song. Despite only being included on the deluxe edition of Badlands and not being released as a single, it is the album's most streamed track on Spotify with more than 410 million plays and is the album's second most viewed video on YouTube with over 140 million views.[1]
A reproduced version of the song titled "Gasoline (Reimagined)" was included on the Target exclusive edition of Halsey's fourth studio album If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power (2021). Halsey performed this version during her virtual Moment House concert a few days after the album's release.[2]
Background
In an interview with Popjustice, Halsey confirmed that she submitted Badlands twelve days after expected[clarification needed], being the song written and produced the day the album was initially planned to be out. She described the track as self-aware, considering it a synopsis for the album and as she said, "what I thought the record was missing". She also expressed her interest in people buying the deluxe version of the record on purpose for them to get the track.[3]
Composition
The song is described as a "brooding electropop track."[4] The track is written about Halsey's experience with mental health, her bipolar disorder and her feeling out of step with the rest of society.[5]
Critical reception
Kitty Empire from The Guardian described the track, "one of the harder-hitting songs on [...]Badlands".[6] Tina Roumeliotis from Buzznet called the song "a crowd-pleaser"[7] while Billboard's Chris Payne considers it "a fan favourite".[8] It has more than 300 million plays on streaming platform Spotify.[9]
