Feeling suicidal in your teens/twenties really affects you in the following decades. You are left with this feeling of okay I made it, I lived past what I was expecting but now what? How do you live a life you were not planning to be alive for? What do you do with the time you never thought you would have? What do you do when you have no plans because you were too busy wishing you were dead?
Omg I feel so moved with your comment. I hope it gets better for you, just know that you're not alone in the feeling, this is all I've been struggling for the last years, thank you for putting it into words ❤❤
God this is so true. Even though you’ve healed from your darkest days, you’re still constantly picking up the pieces and trying to catch up to your peers and it’s a brutal reminder of the past you’re trying to forget.
And with each passing day (especially seeing the crazy sad stories in the news) you’re wondering how are you even still here at all and why.. or is it just me ?
I don't care about if it even is successful, I just think it's cool to see artists taking chances on their own unique ideas. I want to see Halsey and any artist create something unique to them, and this seems to be that.
As someone who has an unknown chronic illness thanks to doctors shrugging symptoms off, “The End of the World.” resonated with me down to my soul. I was bawling my eyes out in the middle of a park with my fiancé when I first listened to that song.
yes same! I have a heart condition that is supposedly fine now. the fact that I still randomly faint is "just stress" apparently. I love that Halsey isn't afraid to go there and talk about it.
It’s so frustrating to know something is so wrong but nobody can/will help. Took me decades to get diagnosed with MS. So glad you found a cathartic release through music. I hope you find your answers.
Hi, I just wanted to say I also had years of dismissed heart problems - and the moment those useless cardiologists realised the very serious mistake they’d been making for years …. Just in case you need to hear it (because I did) : You are right. You are NOT imagining it. You are not doing this to yourself. You know your body. Those doctors are failing you. Don’t give up. x
Like many artists this year, this record is "for the girls" if you get it, you love it. If you don't, you probably won't. As someone with depression and anxiety and chronic illness, it hits different. I feel seen, and I do on most Halsey records, which is why I love her, but this album spoke to me in tongues as Madeline likes to say. I'm so thankful
Not chronically ill, but I almost died in a hospital a few months ago. I was in the ICU for an entire week. Now, I’m okay, but those feelings of impending doom- grappling with the idea of death, your body falling apart, and leaving behind the ones you love- is such a specific, traumatizing experience that not many can put into words. Halsey certainly did. It’s an album I’ll cherish greatly as I grow up throughout my 20’s. I think I needed this album as much as she did.
The unleashing of female rage in this album is something else. Its so angry and desperate and at times, subtle. This album is stunning and I don't think Ive cried so much listening to one album before. Lonely is the muse is one of the best songs ever and I don't think I'll ever recover from it.
I loved the record, you can really see how she is almost saying goodbye to everyone and that fear really is felt throughout the whole thing. When you listen to it with context, it really sucks you into this feeling
a masterpiece of an album. The framing device of “A Letter To God” and how she would sound from each decade, each genre, her interpretation of every artist is gorgeous, the songs themselves are HEART-WRENCHING. Every single track hits. My top 3: 1. Lonely Is The Muse 2. Arsonist 3. Hometown
Dog Years, Panic Attack, and Lonely is the Muse are my top three! This is the first Halsey album I gave a listen as I was drawn in by the concept, I found it to be a very humanizing record.
After the absolutely trash Pitchfork/Fantano “reviews” (which felt more like stan-twitter rants rather than actually meaningful engagements with the material) this was so refreshing. Thank you for actually addressing the MUSIC with grace and empathy, even with including criticism. I’m slowly making my way through the album and really enjoying it.
I already went to Fantano's "review" and gave him my thoughts. What a shitty human being he is. Imagine saying someone with cancer is suffering from main character syndrome.
Oh thank GOD. Finally someone who actually tries to understand an album and the content. This is the analysis I want to hear. I don't even care if someone likes an album or not, I want to hear themes discussed. Bravo. Subbed.
The music industry has become an industry that depends on going viral. The next big thing. The next trend faster and faster. It’s to the point that it can feel dizzying. Music never gets a chance to breathe and sink in. This album feels like a break from that. It gives me the feeling I had when I was a kid in the 90s finding an old vinyl in a dusty record store that just blew me away. Like I could just spend all day laying on the carpet listening to it. She talks a lot about influence in this album and sure you can hear it but it feels so authentically Halsey. It doesn’t feel like an album made to go viral it feels like an album someone with a strong connection with music needed to make. I don’t know how the general public will react to it but I do know that someone with this level of talent and connection to music should never feel stopped or discouraged from making music.
I’m 5 minutes in here, but it was very validating hearing you mention Ethel Cain‘s post and how it reminded you of Halsey because I said the exact samething and texted my friends immediately exactly that
As a long term Halsey fan your analysis about them as an album artist and how their label positioned them more as singles artist/ mainstream pop star is spot on! It also reminded me of something they said on their last tour about how the Manic tour had become very theatrical and production heavy and this tour they just wanted to go back to basics. I loved IICHLIWP and I really enjoyed this album on first listen! I think their best when their allowed to be themselves and return to a more alt/indie sound. I was a bit whelmed by Lucky as a single I do think it works more on the album as a cathartic moment.
She is not an indie artist. Indie is not a genre. Its another word for being underground and unknown and doing something unorthodox and diy. its actually an insult to true independent artists who aren't attached to a machine along with the history to go with it like halsey
The fact that she was literally like "f it'd be awesome to work with Trent Reznor on an album & then she asked the Q & made it happened. That is how art is made, it's when talented & creative people come together. Like, that is truly the dream for an alt/pop fan! 😂
I’m genuinely so happy you got early access to this album! I’m very happy H and their team recognize you as an articulate and balanced reviewer! Very, very excited to hear your thoughts on this album ❤️
Halsey has gone on Twitter to say Life of the Spider was one of the hardest songs to get through and it’s why it’s reffed to as a draft. I personally find this song and The End to be sorta sister songs that have different perspective’s on being sick with a partner. (She calls back to going down the drain in this song, just like the doctor in The End) She’s so good at illustrating such a real and unique pain that like you said hasn’t been done before, and as a Halsey stan I did absolutely eat that up! (I had to take a break after this song so I could cry lmao😭)
This video changed everything. I’ve always felt that she was always almost hitting the mark. Like you stated, no one knew what to do with her. She has tried to be so many things over the course of her career and I wonder how much of that was label driven so on her deathbed she said let me be everything at once. If this was her final kick at the can she was going to go out with a bang. Sometimes horrible situations provide clarity to cut through the noise and I think it did here. She isn’t the best voice or best musician but she is a poet. That is her strength and it’s on full display here. And the problem and strength as you note is that it works only as a whole.
I agree with you on the fact that she's not the best singer or musician. And I think it's because she's too unique as a musician to ever be part of a list that's just comparing artists and ordering them from best to worst. She's just sth no one else can be.
I absolutely love this album. I’ve been aware of Halsey since that Chainsmokers single way back when, but I’ve never been an active fan. I remember the poem she read during a protest years ago and I remember thinking that she was super powerful and had so much to say. That even if I didn’t listen to her I wanted her to be huge and be a voice. I’m chronically ill and mostly housebound. When I first heard “Lucky” I *heard* her. I knew *exactly* what she was talking about and I knew that Halsey was sick like me. Maybe not *exactly* like me (I don’t have cancer, but I have endometriosis among other things). I’ve had serious depression issues through my health problems, and 2024 has been a really hard year, but I understood everything about her rollout and about the songs. And they saved me a little.
im glad u share your thoughts on this album! The buildup created by the impersonation countdown only heightened the anticipation, making the release feel all the more thrilling. and yes! it's a very great record.
I feel like the genius of this album is that The Great Impersonator strips down Halsey and we get to meet Ashley in a very real and raw way. Even though the rollout implies that the album is Halsey impersonating different artists, it actually is about how Ashley has been impersonating Halsey for most of her life. It's about all the pain and suffering and anger that Ashley kept hidden in the closet in order to survive, and also about Ashley's uncertainty about herself, as she kept shapeshifting and impersonating through the years. To be confronted with the possibility of death and to not be sure about what is your legacy. I think for that reason, Lonely is the Muse is maybe her best song ever. When you peel the layers off, there's an anger towards "being alive" in those works of art that were inspired by her, and feeling lonely despite choosing to get involved. In a way, it is a huge anger towards herself for allowing that to be a part of her legacy.
Listening to Halsey is not an easy lalalala experience. One needs to commit to the bit and sit with it for some time. This is the first time I am listening to a review before I have my own set opinions about a piece of art but you help me digest my thoughts so well. Only pop culture reviewer I trust to actually analyze things that I can agree/disagree with without losing my mind
i remember seeing a clip of halsey saying that her mom told her to never go for the man who gave her butterflies. she told her it was a warning sign. no one should ever make you feel anxious, they should make you feel safe. I am SO glad to see her expand on this and execute it so precisely on Panic Attack. this album is devastating, but beautiful. it's an album of what ifs. it almost feels like we see her fading in and out of reality, especially with the contrast between songs like hometown and arsonist. there is tension throughout the whole listen, what will she give us next? i imagine this is what she might feel everyday, what will life throw at me next.
This album was completely different from what i expected. I expected it to be a high-production project where they pick out the most iconic sounds from the biggest hits of each decade from these huge pop stars and turn them into basically halsey covers, but instead halsey took deepcut elements from these artists' actual artistry and used them as a pallete to make a self-portrait. I'm very impressed. I didnt need Manic or Badlands again, i didn't want immitations of existing masterpieces, I wanted something new from Halsey and even though the songs reference all these other eras and artists, they aren't impersonations at all. I think the great irony and the thing that makes this album work is that Halsey might be great at impersonating but shes brave enough to be herself. Instead of hiding in these lengends like costumes, shes using them to expose herself from the inside -out.
So glad you covered this ❤ I think she and this album are amazing. Side note: I have very similar chronic conditions (SLE, MCAS, EDS, Endo, POTS) this album is so cathartic and beautiful. She put out The End as I was finding out I was starting infusion, I sobbed in a soul cleansing way.
I was such a Halsey Stan during the badlands era Colors was my everything at the time for no reason at all just stopes listening to her music . This era is really intriguing im excited to give her music another try!
Thank you Zach for always putting out amazing work! Btw speaking of Ethel i would LOVE to see you do a video about her! Such an amazing artist and I feel you would have such interesting things to say about her work!:)
First off, I agree basically 100% of your analysis of Halsey before your review. I’ve been a hardcore fan of her for almost a decade when I first heard Hold Me Down right before Badlands came out and I’ve watched her career trajectory closely. You and I are very much on the same page. Love and Power, to me, was finally Halsey at her most authentic at that time. It sounded like she was finally able to do what she’s been wanting to do since the start of her career, and I genuinely wasn’t sure if she could top that. I was very wrong. What’s always drawn me to Halsey was that the things that are deeply personal to her, are to me as well. We both come from very similar racial/economic backgrounds, we both have bipolar disorder and I even was *finally* diagnosed with endometriosis last year, despite not being listened to since the age of 18 when I told doctors over and over that I meet all the symptoms of endo. I just turned 33 this month and it took last October to finally be listened to by an OBGYN who *finally* got me some treatment, and after surgery I had some relief. So, needless to say, when I first heard The End, I cried. And this album in general had me bawling so many times. I Believe In Magic really got to me. I think just the thought of a young mother thinking about dying and leaving her baby all alone just shattered my heart, and it was that song that made me think about the mortality of my own mother and how hard it’d be to lose her. I will say I’m a bit shocked that Life Of the Spider lost you. I just think that track is very, very straightforward. If The End sounds like it was recorded in the fetal position, LOTS sounds like it was recorded before a complete breakdown. I think just her voice, a mic and a piano detailing being left alone and resented for simply existing (and using a spider in your bathroom/kitchen/ceiling as that metaphor) is super apt, and also something so many chronically ill women face. “How could I even think of daring to exist, looking just like this?” It’s so raw, almost too raw and personal to listen to. Just my take on it. I’m sorry for the novel. I’m just a very wordy Halsey stan lmao. Love and Power was there for me during the worst time of my life three years ago, and now while reflecting on that time and having my own existential crisis (and also after getting over a week long illness lol), this album comes along and shatters my heart and puts it back together again and I had to yap about it. 10/10 absolutely her best album. I love your review and analysis, if you ever do another Halsey video I’m sat. And another big agree - Lonely Is the Muse really is that bitch!!!
o my, Zachary!! totally agree with your topic about “ lonely is the muse”. This song immediately got me. The same feeling I had with “ but I love him”/ “ who’s afraid of the little old me” by ts. My favourite holy trinity here is “darwinism”, “lonely is the muse” and “arsonist”. This is crazy. I feel so seen. I’m not a fan of Halsey, but I do believe in pop girls who write their songs. also, I was shocked by her health issues and by the first song “the end”. It was my dignity to listen to it. One of the best albums this year.
Lmao but the 1975’s music aren’t really “hits” bc they’re not really pop or anything that would dominate the billboard 100. They are still killing it in their game tho, which is indie/alt rock pop and consistently outsell their previous works
i've always wondered how you talk so smoothly with no stutters and im just now finding out you usually have a teleprompter LOLL but such an amazing and informative dive into halsey's work! im not into halsey and i don't think her music will really ever be my thing but i would never have appreciated how good of a songwriter she is without this vid so thank you
I’ve been itching for you to talk about Halsey!! You did not disappoint!! Taylor, Halsey and Eminem are my top three artists (& have been for AGES). Britney was my queen WAY back in the day. I used to choreograph dances to entire albums, Britney and beyond. Her first album was too bubble gum for me, aside from the singles. There are MANY songs from Britney, In The Zone, Blackout, Circus, Femme Fatale and even Glory that missed the boat on gems of potential singles. Obviously it’s bc Britney wasn’t picking the majority of the released singles.
My top 3 are Taylor, Eminem and Blink 182! 🙌🏼 also saaame - I was OBSESSED with Britney when I was a child, for her first two albums. I had this book about her that I still own and it’s all ratty and you can see my 2nd grade handwriting in it lmao. I adored her but I fell off as I got older. For reference I’m 31, born in 93. Anyways she is still one of the most influential of the 2000’s though ❤
I think manic is where she starts to blossom in her songwriting, and with iichliwp and the great impersinator, where she takes this experience as a person with trauma going through big destablizing experience, decunstructing her feelings life in such a poetic and eclectic way. I think halsey is their most successful when making rock inspired music, it fits them so much. Ive been a fan since before HFK was announced. And I'm in a disabled family, her last two albums have reflected people in my lives experiences so well they feel like genuine pieces of art to me. This album is one of the most affecting to me. Life of the spider hlwrecked me emotionally
i also feel like Manic was the point where she finally allowed her self to be completely personal while reincorporating the concept album idea w the last two (Manic wasnt a concept album), bc on her first two, while she was writing abt personal stuff, much of those albums felt far more impersonal and more heavy on being concept albums and the worldbuilding and stuff around that, whereas post-Manic she incorporated the concept album worlbuilding w her personal life
Was on a long train journey today and listened to it back to front and loved it! Blows my mind how cohesive it sounded while using so many sounds for inspiration. Really astonishing! Also astonishing how good this video is when you did it last minute! ❤️❤️ No-days-off-ologist and a true pro. I hope you’re having a lovely birthday xxxx
not gonna lie, I would've loved seeing u react to the album, because my god, hearing this album and connecting things on the spot is just magic in itself.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album, the standout track for me was "Hurt Feelings" and the 'Letter to God' tracks. Perspective shifts are always my favourite in writing / life being a double edged sword. "Lonely is the muse" resonated deeply too. Edit: I also loved 'Ego', it is so catchy & fun to sing.
As someone who has struggled with chronic illness for most of my life, has undergone a liver transplant due to an autoimmune disease, who has endometriosis and other health issues as well as mental health disorders like PTSD, ADHD, Anxiety and has (mostly) recovered from an eating disorder... this album has quickly become very near and dear to my heart. The first time I heard The End I burst into tears. I had been following what I could of Halsey's health journey and as a long time fan of her art I am greatful to have music from an artist I respect that I can really relate to on visceral level.
I'm very sorry that she's getting much less streams and views because in my opinion she should be seen much more because she has unique talents that no singer has and I would really like it because she deserves the whole world and everyone should see her masterpieces, her art, I love Halsey so much because she's helping me a lot in my adolescence and The Great Impersonator is the most beautiful album she's ever made together with Badlands and Iichliwp ❤
I love this album for multiple reasons. Hurt feelings spoke to me on a very personal level and it’s my current favorite track along with lonely is the muse and ego. The end is heartbreaking and I cry when I listen to it. I’ve struggled with my health for most of my adult life and her lyrics make me feel both so happy for how far I’ve come but also so hurt for her having to go through it herself. I agree that the impersonations would have been better with a little more detail about her personal inspiration by each and the song comparisons do fall a little flat. But overall I’m so excited to finally have this album. I love all of her work and I personally think love and power was amazing but I like that this one feels more intimate and personal. Her lyrics are always perfect.
Lonely is the muse was by far my favourite song. I got into Halsey after she worked with BTS. I loved Manic a lot so I guess I'm not the average Halsey fan. I listened to badlands and if I Can't Have Love I Want Power but still love Manic the most honestly. Her albums in general reminded me of BTS' in the way they tell stories and I immediately got why they'd work together and be friends. Nightmare had been my favourite song of hers though before Lonely is the Muse which is now my all time fave. But in terms of this album I had not vibed with majority of the singles until Lonely is the muse came out. I appreciated all the lyrics but only really enjoyed all the other songs as a part of the whole album. I liked Lucky as well actually but not as much as LITM. The entire album was very moving and enjoyable in a sad relating way for me even though I've never been sick. But The Spider was one of the most impactful for me. The presentation of how ppl view you when your sick. How your partner can grow to resent you and feel you're a burden. It's heartbreaking. It was the one that made me cry. (I almost shed a tear during one of the Letters to God as well.) And her partner left her during her sickness which is a phenomenon that happens with so many women who have cancer to the point that it's part of the topics covered in discussions when women get diagnosed. I liked the spider metaphor. Idk that song really struck me so it's a surprise many don't seem to like it. Also I heard that the album title is also a play on The Great Imitator which is a term refering to Lupus in medical circles as that was one of the main diseases she grapples with. I wonder if the idea of channeling her inspirations was the initial idea of the album or if it was more of an after thought after she already named it after the disease.
Loved hearing your thoughts on this album! I listened to it about 3 times so far, and it's clicking for me. I have been a casual Halsey fan for years, but this album roll-out intrigued me. I grew up listening to PJ Harvey, Tori Amos, Bjork and Fiona Apple through my mother and aunties and cousins who were all into that alternative female singer songwriter scene so I was curious when I saw her impersonating them because they are literally songwriting heroes. I think she has proved her writing ability is one of the most interesting and has some of the largest variety of any modern female artist right now. She can write super catchy, listenable songs for anyone to grab onto whilst still providing some truly dark and disturbing concepts. The Arsonist really impressed me, I re-listened a couple of times after first hearing it. Lonely is the Muse is probably the best song on the album to me, it's so Queen of the Damned, Deftones inspired, LOVE. I Believe in Magic made me cry. It's beautiful and hopeful. Panic Attack is great. I think Life of the Spider is really hard to listen to, honestly, because it sounds so scary and dark and sad to me. Imagining her feeling that way while struggling with illness is just so depressing, like shunned and unwanted by your partner. Sick. This album deserves a good few listens. There is a lot to mine and discover. I think it will age well and stand the test of time, and it might be her best album. The subject matter and writing is the most interesting it's ever been to me.
Lonely Is A Muse, Dog Years, Panic Attack and Darwnism are my favorites from the record. I think is one of her best with ICHLIWP and Badlands. It's so cohesive and well-thought. You can see that she was commited to the bit.
Yesss I love that you're covering Halsey! I think this album is one that will really take time for me to delve into. Iichliwp grew on me so so much with every listen and I love every track. I love that she's creating a new thing entirely her own and not catered for the mainstream. It was definitely a very sad listen.
This is the most refreshing album this year Everyone is reaching for #1 the next trend the next big thing but she really seems to be doing the hard thing (and has been for her whole career) she’s versatile she’s great
I love Halsey!! She has a wonderful voice and is incredibly talented!! ✨🙌🏼 She is authentic and vulnerable, she follows her heart and feelings without really trying to stick to a curated particular image of a Popstar. She really wears her heart on her sleeves. It might seem inconsistent and chaotic to some but this is what I respect the most about her - she does what feels right and authentic to Her in the moment 🫶
I feel like Halsey, while she does definitely have her mass appeal moments, has always been so specifically honest in their songs to the point where some people GET IT, and some people feel almost uncomfortable so they HAVE to laugh. The girlies that get it GET IT
This was a truly incredible review and I really appreciate the way you earnestly engaged with both what she was experiencing with this album and the actual art that she gave to us. I totally agree that Lonely Is The Muse is her magnum opus, while not the same, it gave me the energy of The Lighthouse off of IICHLIWP which has always been a favorite of mine. The weird girl shit of Arsonist, the etherealness of Panic Attack, and the heartbreaking introspection of The Letter To God trilogy also were big stand outs to me 💖
I really had never been drawn to Halsey until this album. I didn’t see the big pre-album rollout or head this singles ahead of time. The first song I heard was The Only Living Girl in LA and it immediately made me cry. Listened to the rest now and I LOVE her writing. I’ve been sleeping on her.
Just listened to the whole album all the way through, I loved it, it's my favorite album of hers so far, it tackles very mature themes (healing childhood harms through her own motherhood, chronic illness, legacy...) and doesn't cut corners.
The Great Impersonator is a stunning record, it´s Halsey in every way possible. I definitely agree with you that Halsey doesn´t necessary need a big single to start an era. She has maybe not that big but very steady loyal fanbase that are always ready to tune in when she´s releasing something, so big single isn´t all that needed, the album is going to debut in top3 on BB200 anyway. But there were ways to make rollout more effective and bring more people to the album. I agree it would´ve helped if everything was put closer together and Lucky wasn´t a good idea for a lead single. I personally would´ve went like this: - 1st Promotional Single: The End - July 26, 2024 - Lead Single: Ego - August 15 - 2nd Promotional Single: Lonely Is The Muse - September 6 + Album Announcement, Album Trailer & pre-order I would´ve followed this with performance at the VMA´s and Halsey´s game of searching for alternative covers. I love the idea of impersonating people who inspired this album, but i would start with it earlier, almost immediately after album announcement. I would also use it as a way to reveal the tracklist. Halsey would reveal the impersonation, title of song, short snippet & she could also write a little note about what she loves about this artist and why they inspired her.... - 2nd Single: Panic Attack - October 10 Album Release: October 25 I´m not sure how big of a change it would´ve made but it definitely wouldn´t make any damage.
She's genuinely such a profound lyricist it's kind of crazy, her worldbuilding is just a level of creativity I dream to have. I honestly just want to have a fraction of her mind the things I would do with that. One of my biggest inspos
This could easily be one of my fav videos of you, loved the album tho I had to take some breaks as it is deeply moving and raw. Love Halsey all the way, so brave to make her on way.
You articulated all of the thoughts that I had, but couldn't put together myself. I really enjoy this album, for its depth of lyrics rather than the melodies.
I listened to it by accident (was washing so physically unable to skip) and ended up liking the whole thing. It was one sound after another and I haven’t listened to any of her albums besides badlands so this reminded me of how taken back I was by her writing and sound. I found out about the other drama about pitchfork and her illness later. People really like to pick and choose which angsty artists they’re going to hate on huh
I know this album is called The Great Impersonator, but listening to the lyrics it really feels like she was cutting herself open and pinpointing to us precisely where the wounds are. It's raw and emotional and intense in a way that still feels relatable and poetic and artistic. Much like IICHLIWP, I don't think this album is designed to break records or have hit singles, and it doesn't have to be.
This is such a good review. And as a Halsey stan, I’m so grateful you really approached this album and review it’s such good faith. Since it’s come out, I feel like there’s been a number of bad faith readings of the album, and that’s so sad because so many reviews refuse to engage with its most interesting subject matter imo. It’s also only through this recent album release and through this review that I’m learning that Halsey is NOT a well-known artist. Wild, because to me, having followed Halsey’s every song since shortly after Badlands’ release, Halsey is the “biggest” musician that I would want to see perform live (other than Taylor Swift, but Taylor is bigger than God these days, and that sounds too stressful live). Of all my most treasured musicians, they’ve had the most commercial success. They are a mainstream pop girlie TO ME 😂 IICHLIWP is my favorite album of all time.
I agree this is one of her best records to date‼️ it debuted on my birthday as well! I don’t think she has ever needed a “moment” She has always had an Alt/ pop. I love seeing her making music that she loves and needs to get out of her self. This is yes a concept album but also seems like this was therapy like it could have been her last album.
I loved this read!! It's really interesting hearing your perspective and read on this project and Halsey's career in the grand scheme of the pop/indie pop industry
Happy birthday Zack! You are quite literally the funniest person on this planet and I always look forward to Sundays when you have a video out just for a good laugh and better understanding on things! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Halsey has touched me through her music on the most personal level. I was so excited for this album I was sitting and waiting in Spotify to click play the moment it was released. Best experience of my life for sure. This record is not my favorite but still super good and a masterpiece nonetheless.
Holy crap, from the title I thought I was gonna have to throw hands thinking this was gonna be shitting on H, but this is actually such a thorough, intricate video essay and I really enjoyed it! Thanks for putting this together 💜
i completely agree with the dislike for the tying the songs with icons, it almost convinced me i wouldn’t like this album because it wouldn’t be halsey at all, but i was so glad i was proven wrong !!!
as a teen who’s painfully chronically ill this album has been making me BAWL all day ☹️☹️ Letter to God (1974 & 1983) especially struck me to my core, before I got diagnosed I remember praying that I had cancer when I was younger so I’d at least know what was wrong with me 😭
Feeling suicidal in your teens/twenties really affects you in the following decades. You are left with this feeling of okay I made it, I lived past what I was expecting but now what? How do you live a life you were not planning to be alive for? What do you do with the time you never thought you would have? What do you do when you have no plans because you were too busy wishing you were dead?
such an insightful comment and very true!
Very valid and sadly relatable.
Omg I feel so moved with your comment. I hope it gets better for you, just know that you're not alone in the feeling, this is all I've been struggling for the last years, thank you for putting it into words ❤❤
God this is so true. Even though you’ve healed from your darkest days, you’re still constantly picking up the pieces and trying to catch up to your peers and it’s a brutal reminder of the past you’re trying to forget.
And with each passing day (especially seeing the crazy sad stories in the news) you’re wondering how are you even still here at all and why.. or is it just me ?
I thought this album sonically would be all over the place but it really wasn't. It was such a cohesive listen
it all works strangely.....
@@theswiftologist tracklists can do wonders I guess.
The Halseyologist debut!!
Real..
finally😍
As a chronically ill girlie (endometriosis), I loved this album. Halsey has always been so talented in my book
!!! so important
Fibro here! Same!!
Same here - Chronically ill with “invisible illnesses” can be isolating and a level of suck many people can’t fathom. Halsey gets it.
I don't care about if it even is successful, I just think it's cool to see artists taking chances on their own unique ideas. I want to see Halsey and any artist create something unique to them, and this seems to be that.
we love to see an artist betting on themselves
@@Sharkwhisperer there was no reason to try to disrespect Swifties a week and a half after this post. Go do something else more useful please
As someone who has an unknown chronic illness thanks to doctors shrugging symptoms off, “The End of the World.” resonated with me down to my soul. I was bawling my eyes out in the middle of a park with my fiancé when I first listened to that song.
so glad to hear that you found some pop music that speaks to this specific experience!! halsey's a gem for that x
yes same! I have a heart condition that is supposedly fine now. the fact that I still randomly faint is "just stress" apparently. I love that Halsey isn't afraid to go there and talk about it.
It’s so frustrating to know something is so wrong but nobody can/will help. Took me decades to get diagnosed with MS. So glad you found a cathartic release through music. I hope you find your answers.
Hi, I just wanted to say I also had years of dismissed heart problems - and the moment those useless cardiologists realised the very serious mistake they’d been making for years ….
Just in case you need to hear it (because I did) : You are right. You are NOT imagining it. You are not doing this to yourself. You know your body. Those doctors are failing you. Don’t give up. x
I'm right there with you 🤍 this album is coming out on my second year trying to get a diagnosis, just as I've decided to stop trying for a bit
Like many artists this year, this record is "for the girls" if you get it, you love it. If you don't, you probably won't. As someone with depression and anxiety and chronic illness, it hits different. I feel seen, and I do on most Halsey records, which is why I love her, but this album spoke to me in tongues as Madeline likes to say. I'm so thankful
Not chronically ill, but I almost died in a hospital a few months ago. I was in the ICU for an entire week. Now, I’m okay, but those feelings of impending doom- grappling with the idea of death, your body falling apart, and leaving behind the ones you love- is such a specific, traumatizing experience that not many can put into words. Halsey certainly did. It’s an album I’ll cherish greatly as I grow up throughout my 20’s. I think I needed this album as much as she did.
The promotional photos where she dressed up as all the different icons were AWESOME
The unleashing of female rage in this album is something else. Its so angry and desperate and at times, subtle. This album is stunning and I don't think Ive cried so much listening to one album before. Lonely is the muse is one of the best songs ever and I don't think I'll ever recover from it.
Halsey, part of the tumblr holy trinity: Lana, Marina, and Halsey. She created who I am, tbh. I will always be cheering for her! Great video, Zach!
don’t forget charli xcx true romance era
@@pan6529 That’s the mount rushmore. Lana, Marina, Halsey, and Charli.
@@pan6529 speaking of Charli and Marina, it's a god damn CRIME Just Desserts isn't on streaming services
@@00pium_kingvampstanand lorde is also peeking in!
@@mastersword648 I was literally thinking of her while writing my comment!
I loved the record, you can really see how she is almost saying goodbye to everyone and that fear really is felt throughout the whole thing. When you listen to it with context, it really sucks you into this feeling
its super immersive
This is the DIVA level of dedication!!! Happy birthday Zach!!! 🥳
a masterpiece of an album. The framing device of “A Letter To God” and how she would sound from each decade, each genre, her interpretation of every artist is gorgeous, the songs themselves are HEART-WRENCHING.
Every single track hits.
My top 3:
1. Lonely Is The Muse
2. Arsonist
3. Hometown
Dog Years, Panic Attack, and Lonely is the Muse are my top three! This is the first Halsey album I gave a listen as I was drawn in by the concept, I found it to be a very humanizing record.
this is the only right choice 😂😂
After the absolutely trash Pitchfork/Fantano “reviews” (which felt more like stan-twitter rants rather than actually meaningful engagements with the material) this was so refreshing. Thank you for actually addressing the MUSIC with grace and empathy, even with including criticism. I’m slowly making my way through the album and really enjoying it.
I already went to Fantano's "review" and gave him my thoughts. What a shitty human being he is. Imagine saying someone with cancer is suffering from main character syndrome.
Oh thank GOD. Finally someone who actually tries to understand an album and the content. This is the analysis I want to hear. I don't even care if someone likes an album or not, I want to hear themes discussed. Bravo. Subbed.
The music industry has become an industry that depends on going viral. The next big thing. The next trend faster and faster. It’s to the point that it can feel dizzying. Music never gets a chance to breathe and sink in.
This album feels like a break from that. It gives me the feeling I had when I was a kid in the 90s finding an old vinyl in a dusty record store that just blew me away. Like I could just spend all day laying on the carpet listening to it.
She talks a lot about influence in this album and sure you can hear it but it feels so authentically Halsey. It doesn’t feel like an album made to go viral it feels like an album someone with a strong connection with music needed to make. I don’t know how the general public will react to it but I do know that someone with this level of talent and connection to music should never feel stopped or discouraged from making music.
halsey is SUCH an eras artist and flowers need to be given!! the work is too good!!
I’m 5 minutes in here, but it was very validating hearing you mention Ethel Cain‘s post and how it reminded you of Halsey because I said the exact samething and texted my friends immediately exactly that
As a long term Halsey fan your analysis about them as an album artist and how their label positioned them more as singles artist/ mainstream pop star is spot on! It also reminded me of something they said on their last tour about how the Manic tour had become very theatrical and production heavy and this tour they just wanted to go back to basics. I loved IICHLIWP and I really enjoyed this album on first listen! I think their best when their allowed to be themselves and return to a more alt/indie sound. I was a bit whelmed by Lucky as a single I do think it works more on the album as a cathartic moment.
She is not an indie artist. Indie is not a genre. Its another word for being underground and unknown and doing something unorthodox and diy. its actually an insult to true independent artists who aren't attached to a machine along with the history to go with it like halsey
The fact that she was literally like "f it'd be awesome to work with Trent Reznor on an album & then she asked the Q & made it happened. That is how art is made, it's when talented & creative people come together.
Like, that is truly the dream for an alt/pop fan! 😂
This album is a masterpiece
I’m genuinely so happy you got early access to this album! I’m very happy H and their team recognize you as an articulate and balanced reviewer! Very, very excited to hear your thoughts on this album ❤️
Halsey has gone on Twitter to say Life of the Spider was one of the hardest songs to get through and it’s why it’s reffed to as a draft. I personally find this song and The End to be sorta sister songs that have different perspective’s on being sick with a partner. (She calls back to going down the drain in this song, just like the doctor in The End) She’s so good at illustrating such a real and unique pain that like you said hasn’t been done before, and as a Halsey stan I did absolutely eat that up! (I had to take a break after this song so I could cry lmao😭)
This video changed everything. I’ve always felt that she was always almost hitting the mark. Like you stated, no one knew what to do with her. She has tried to be so many things over the course of her career and I wonder how much of that was label driven so on her deathbed she said let me be everything at once. If this was her final kick at the can she was going to go out with a bang.
Sometimes horrible situations provide clarity to cut through the noise and I think it did here. She isn’t the best voice or best musician but she is a poet. That is her strength and it’s on full display here. And the problem and strength as you note is that it works only as a whole.
I agree with you on the fact that she's not the best singer or musician. And I think it's because she's too unique as a musician to ever be part of a list that's just comparing artists and ordering them from best to worst. She's just sth no one else can be.
I absolutely love this album. I’ve been aware of Halsey since that Chainsmokers single way back when, but I’ve never been an active fan. I remember the poem she read during a protest years ago and I remember thinking that she was super powerful and had so much to say. That even if I didn’t listen to her I wanted her to be huge and be a voice.
I’m chronically ill and mostly housebound. When I first heard “Lucky” I *heard* her. I knew *exactly* what she was talking about and I knew that Halsey was sick like me. Maybe not *exactly* like me (I don’t have cancer, but I have endometriosis among other things). I’ve had serious depression issues through my health problems, and 2024 has been a really hard year, but I understood everything about her rollout and about the songs. And they saved me a little.
im glad u share your thoughts on this album! The buildup created by the impersonation countdown only heightened the anticipation, making the release feel all the more thrilling. and yes! it's a very great record.
when i tell you i got literal CHILLS when you were analyzing the end. you GET it
panic attack is definitely one of her best songs
that song is so so so amazing, especially since she got the inspiration from Fleetwood Mac/stevie nicks. It’s totally one of her best 💕💕
Lonely is the muse reminds me of Everybody's fool (by Evanescence) thematically !!
I feel like the genius of this album is that The Great Impersonator strips down Halsey and we get to meet Ashley in a very real and raw way. Even though the rollout implies that the album is Halsey impersonating different artists, it actually is about how Ashley has been impersonating Halsey for most of her life. It's about all the pain and suffering and anger that Ashley kept hidden in the closet in order to survive, and also about Ashley's uncertainty about herself, as she kept shapeshifting and impersonating through the years. To be confronted with the possibility of death and to not be sure about what is your legacy.
I think for that reason, Lonely is the Muse is maybe her best song ever. When you peel the layers off, there's an anger towards "being alive" in those works of art that were inspired by her, and feeling lonely despite choosing to get involved. In a way, it is a huge anger towards herself for allowing that to be a part of her legacy.
love your work! Never seen pop culture with such nuance and thoughtfulness❤
Listening to Halsey is not an easy lalalala experience. One needs to commit to the bit and sit with it for some time. This is the first time I am listening to a review before I have my own set opinions about a piece of art but you help me digest my thoughts so well. Only pop culture reviewer I trust to actually analyze things that I can agree/disagree with without losing my mind
i remember seeing a clip of halsey saying that her mom told her to never go for the man who gave her butterflies. she told her it was a warning sign. no one should ever make you feel anxious, they should make you feel safe. I am SO glad to see her expand on this and execute it so precisely on Panic Attack. this album is devastating, but beautiful. it's an album of what ifs. it almost feels like we see her fading in and out of reality, especially with the contrast between songs like hometown and arsonist. there is tension throughout the whole listen, what will she give us next? i imagine this is what she might feel everyday, what will life throw at me next.
This album makes me sob!!!
This album was completely different from what i expected. I expected it to be a high-production project where they pick out the most iconic sounds from the biggest hits of each decade from these huge pop stars and turn them into basically halsey covers, but instead halsey took deepcut elements from these artists' actual artistry and used them as a pallete to make a self-portrait. I'm very impressed. I didnt need Manic or Badlands again, i didn't want immitations of existing masterpieces, I wanted something new from Halsey and even though the songs reference all these other eras and artists, they aren't impersonations at all. I think the great irony and the thing that makes this album work is that Halsey might be great at impersonating but shes brave enough to be herself. Instead of hiding in these lengends like costumes, shes using them to expose herself from the inside -out.
this album is one the best albums released this year it’s so crazy good
So glad you covered this ❤ I think she and this album are amazing. Side note: I have very similar chronic conditions (SLE, MCAS, EDS, Endo, POTS) this album is so cathartic and beautiful. She put out The End as I was finding out I was starting infusion, I sobbed in a soul cleansing way.
I was such a Halsey Stan during the badlands era Colors was my everything at the time for no reason at all just stopes listening to her music . This era is really intriguing im excited to give her music another try!
Thank you Zach for always putting out amazing work! Btw speaking of Ethel i would LOVE to see you do a video about her! Such an amazing artist and I feel you would have such interesting things to say about her work!:)
First off, I agree basically 100% of your analysis of Halsey before your review. I’ve been a hardcore fan of her for almost a decade when I first heard Hold Me Down right before Badlands came out and I’ve watched her career trajectory closely. You and I are very much on the same page. Love and Power, to me, was finally Halsey at her most authentic at that time. It sounded like she was finally able to do what she’s been wanting to do since the start of her career, and I genuinely wasn’t sure if she could top that. I was very wrong. What’s always drawn me to Halsey was that the things that are deeply personal to her, are to me as well. We both come from very similar racial/economic backgrounds, we both have bipolar disorder and I even was *finally* diagnosed with endometriosis last year, despite not being listened to since the age of 18 when I told doctors over and over that I meet all the symptoms of endo. I just turned 33 this month and it took last October to finally be listened to by an OBGYN who *finally* got me some treatment, and after surgery I had some relief. So, needless to say, when I first heard The End, I cried. And this album in general had me bawling so many times. I Believe In Magic really got to me. I think just the thought of a young mother thinking about dying and leaving her baby all alone just shattered my heart, and it was that song that made me think about the mortality of my own mother and how hard it’d be to lose her. I will say I’m a bit shocked that Life Of the Spider lost you. I just think that track is very, very straightforward. If The End sounds like it was recorded in the fetal position, LOTS sounds like it was recorded before a complete breakdown. I think just her voice, a mic and a piano detailing being left alone and resented for simply existing (and using a spider in your bathroom/kitchen/ceiling as that metaphor) is super apt, and also something so many chronically ill women face. “How could I even think of daring to exist, looking just like this?” It’s so raw, almost too raw and personal to listen to. Just my take on it.
I’m sorry for the novel. I’m just a very wordy Halsey stan lmao. Love and Power was there for me during the worst time of my life three years ago, and now while reflecting on that time and having my own existential crisis (and also after getting over a week long illness lol), this album comes along and shatters my heart and puts it back together again and I had to yap about it. 10/10 absolutely her best album. I love your review and analysis, if you ever do another Halsey video I’m sat. And another big agree - Lonely Is the Muse really is that bitch!!!
o my, Zachary!! totally agree with your topic about “ lonely is the muse”. This song immediately got me. The same feeling I had with “ but I love him”/ “ who’s afraid of the little old me” by ts. My favourite holy trinity here is “darwinism”, “lonely is the muse” and “arsonist”. This is crazy. I feel so seen.
I’m not a fan of Halsey, but I do believe in pop girls who write their songs. also, I was shocked by her health issues and by the first song “the end”. It was my dignity to listen to it. One of the best albums this year.
Not Matty Healy and Shawn Mendez being incapable of creating a hit but inspiring the girlie pops to write their best songs.
matty actually created some bops lol
To be fair ratty is a really good musician
@@fornickation name a recent hit
@@naruto-zh3lm he dominated the 2016/2018 indie Tumblr era of music but they haven't had a hit in yearssss
Lmao but the 1975’s music aren’t really “hits” bc they’re not really pop or anything that would dominate the billboard 100. They are still killing it in their game tho, which is indie/alt rock pop and consistently outsell their previous works
i've always wondered how you talk so smoothly with no stutters and im just now finding out you usually have a teleprompter LOLL but such an amazing and informative dive into halsey's work! im not into halsey and i don't think her music will really ever be my thing but i would never have appreciated how good of a songwriter she is without this vid so thank you
I’ve been itching for you to talk about Halsey!! You did not disappoint!! Taylor, Halsey and Eminem are my top three artists (& have been for AGES).
Britney was my queen WAY back in the day. I used to choreograph dances to entire albums, Britney and beyond. Her first album was too bubble gum for me, aside from the singles. There are MANY songs from Britney, In The Zone, Blackout, Circus, Femme Fatale and even Glory that missed the boat on gems of potential singles. Obviously it’s bc Britney wasn’t picking the majority of the released singles.
My top 3 are Taylor, Eminem and Blink 182! 🙌🏼 also saaame - I was OBSESSED with Britney when I was a child, for her first two albums. I had this book about her that I still own and it’s all ratty and you can see my 2nd grade handwriting in it lmao. I adored her but I fell off as I got older. For reference I’m 31, born in 93. Anyways she is still one of the most influential of the 2000’s though ❤
I didnt even listen to the record yet, but I‘m so excited for your analysis! Have a great birthday weekend and enjoy your time away 😊
thank youuu
I think manic is where she starts to blossom in her songwriting, and with iichliwp and the great impersinator, where she takes this experience as a person with trauma going through big destablizing experience, decunstructing her feelings life in such a poetic and eclectic way.
I think halsey is their most successful when making rock inspired music, it fits them so much.
Ive been a fan since before HFK was announced. And I'm in a disabled family, her last two albums have reflected people in my lives experiences so well they feel like genuine pieces of art to me. This album is one of the most affecting to me. Life of the spider hlwrecked me emotionally
i also feel like Manic was the point where she finally allowed her self to be completely personal while reincorporating the concept album idea w the last two (Manic wasnt a concept album), bc on her first two, while she was writing abt personal stuff, much of those albums felt far more impersonal and more heavy on being concept albums and the worldbuilding and stuff around that, whereas post-Manic she incorporated the concept album worlbuilding w her personal life
Was on a long train journey today and listened to it back to front and loved it! Blows my mind how cohesive it sounded while using so many sounds for inspiration. Really astonishing! Also astonishing how good this video is when you did it last minute! ❤️❤️ No-days-off-ologist and a true pro. I hope you’re having a lovely birthday xxxx
Thank you diva xx
not gonna lie, I would've loved seeing u react to the album, because my god, hearing this album and connecting things on the spot is just magic in itself.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album, the standout track for me was "Hurt Feelings" and the 'Letter to God' tracks. Perspective shifts are always my favourite in writing / life being a double edged sword.
"Lonely is the muse" resonated deeply too.
Edit: I also loved 'Ego', it is so catchy & fun to sing.
As someone who has struggled with chronic illness for most of my life, has undergone a liver transplant due to an autoimmune disease, who has endometriosis and other health issues as well as mental health disorders like PTSD, ADHD, Anxiety and has (mostly) recovered from an eating disorder... this album has quickly become very near and dear to my heart. The first time I heard The End I burst into tears. I had been following what I could of Halsey's health journey and as a long time fan of her art I am greatful to have music from an artist I respect that I can really relate to on visceral level.
I'm very sorry that she's getting much less streams and views because in my opinion she should be seen much more because she has unique talents that no singer has and I would really like it because she deserves the whole world and everyone should see her masterpieces, her art, I love Halsey so much because she's helping me a lot in my adolescence and The Great Impersonator is the most beautiful album she's ever made together with Badlands and Iichliwp ❤
I love this album for multiple reasons. Hurt feelings spoke to me on a very personal level and it’s my current favorite track along with lonely is the muse and ego. The end is heartbreaking and I cry when I listen to it. I’ve struggled with my health for most of my adult life and her lyrics make me feel both so happy for how far I’ve come but also so hurt for her having to go through it herself. I agree that the impersonations would have been better with a little more detail about her personal inspiration by each and the song comparisons do fall a little flat. But overall I’m so excited to finally have this album. I love all of her work and I personally think love and power was amazing but I like that this one feels more intimate and personal. Her lyrics are always perfect.
How do you post when I was literally thinking that I needed a Halsey swiftologist review rn omg
and there it is .... enjoy!!
Lonely is the muse was by far my favourite song. I got into Halsey after she worked with BTS. I loved Manic a lot so I guess I'm not the average Halsey fan. I listened to badlands and if I Can't Have Love I Want Power but still love Manic the most honestly. Her albums in general reminded me of BTS' in the way they tell stories and I immediately got why they'd work together and be friends. Nightmare had been my favourite song of hers though before Lonely is the Muse which is now my all time fave. But in terms of this album I had not vibed with majority of the singles until Lonely is the muse came out. I appreciated all the lyrics but only really enjoyed all the other songs as a part of the whole album. I liked Lucky as well actually but not as much as LITM. The entire album was very moving and enjoyable in a sad relating way for me even though I've never been sick.
But The Spider was one of the most impactful for me. The presentation of how ppl view you when your sick. How your partner can grow to resent you and feel you're a burden. It's heartbreaking. It was the one that made me cry. (I almost shed a tear during one of the Letters to God as well.) And her partner left her during her sickness which is a phenomenon that happens with so many women who have cancer to the point that it's part of the topics covered in discussions when women get diagnosed. I liked the spider metaphor. Idk that song really struck me so it's a surprise many don't seem to like it.
Also I heard that the album title is also a play on The Great Imitator which is a term refering to Lupus in medical circles as that was one of the main diseases she grapples with. I wonder if the idea of channeling her inspirations was the initial idea of the album or if it was more of an after thought after she already named it after the disease.
So glad you made this ahh!!! I ADORE this album. Her lyricism is seriously underrated.
Loved hearing your thoughts on this album! I listened to it about 3 times so far, and it's clicking for me. I have been a casual Halsey fan for years, but this album roll-out intrigued me. I grew up listening to PJ Harvey, Tori Amos, Bjork and Fiona Apple through my mother and aunties and cousins who were all into that alternative female singer songwriter scene so I was curious when I saw her impersonating them because they are literally songwriting heroes.
I think she has proved her writing ability is one of the most interesting and has some of the largest variety of any modern female artist right now. She can write super catchy, listenable songs for anyone to grab onto whilst still providing some truly dark and disturbing concepts. The Arsonist really impressed me, I re-listened a couple of times after first hearing it. Lonely is the Muse is probably the best song on the album to me, it's so Queen of the Damned, Deftones inspired, LOVE. I Believe in Magic made me cry. It's beautiful and hopeful. Panic Attack is great. I think Life of the Spider is really hard to listen to, honestly, because it sounds so scary and dark and sad to me. Imagining her feeling that way while struggling with illness is just so depressing, like shunned and unwanted by your partner. Sick.
This album deserves a good few listens. There is a lot to mine and discover. I think it will age well and stand the test of time, and it might be her best album. The subject matter and writing is the most interesting it's ever been to me.
Lonely Is A Muse, Dog Years, Panic Attack and Darwnism are my favorites from the record. I think is one of her best with ICHLIWP and Badlands. It's so cohesive and well-thought. You can see that she was commited to the bit.
Yesss I love that you're covering Halsey! I think this album is one that will really take time for me to delve into. Iichliwp grew on me so so much with every listen and I love every track. I love that she's creating a new thing entirely her own and not catered for the mainstream. It was definitely a very sad listen.
This is the most refreshing album this year
Everyone is reaching for #1 the next trend the next big thing but she really seems to be doing the hard thing (and has been for her whole career) she’s versatile she’s great
This is excellent in depth analysis and review. You never disappoint with your research and understanding of pop music.
I love Halsey!! She has a wonderful voice and is incredibly talented!! ✨🙌🏼 She is authentic and vulnerable, she follows her heart and feelings without really trying to stick to a curated particular image of a Popstar. She really wears her heart on her sleeves. It might seem inconsistent and chaotic to some but this is what I respect the most about her - she does what feels right and authentic to Her in the moment 🫶
Been waitinggggggg for a halseyologist moment
I feel like Halsey, while she does definitely have her mass appeal moments, has always been so specifically honest in their songs to the point where some people GET IT, and some people feel almost uncomfortable so they HAVE to laugh. The girlies that get it GET IT
As a Halsey fan since the very roots, I genuinely cried so much listening to this album. I’m absolutely devastated by and obsessed with this record.
I was waiting and hoping all morning that you'd post a review. Thank you for your service!
manifested it divaaaa
Great analysis! “Life of the Spider” is my fav! I’m a die hard Tori fan though. I guess that’s why it resonates with me. Loving “Arsonist.”
Happy Birthday Zac and thank you for your thoughtful analysis!
This was a truly incredible review and I really appreciate the way you earnestly engaged with both what she was experiencing with this album and the actual art that she gave to us. I totally agree that Lonely Is The Muse is her magnum opus, while not the same, it gave me the energy of The Lighthouse off of IICHLIWP which has always been a favorite of mine. The weird girl shit of Arsonist, the etherealness of Panic Attack, and the heartbreaking introspection of The Letter To God trilogy also were big stand outs to me 💖
Yess! I’ve needed this expeditiously!!! 👏🏼 Haleyologist
well yessss
I really had never been drawn to Halsey until this album. I didn’t see the big pre-album rollout or head this singles ahead of time. The first song I heard was The Only Living Girl in LA and it immediately made me cry. Listened to the rest now and I LOVE her writing. I’ve been sleeping on her.
Just listened to the whole album all the way through, I loved it, it's my favorite album of hers so far, it tackles very mature themes (healing childhood harms through her own motherhood, chronic illness, legacy...) and doesn't cut corners.
The Great Impersonator is a stunning record, it´s Halsey in every way possible. I definitely agree with you that Halsey doesn´t necessary need a big single to start an era. She has maybe not that big but very steady loyal fanbase that are always ready to tune in when she´s releasing something, so big single isn´t all that needed, the album is going to debut in top3 on BB200 anyway. But there were ways to make rollout more effective and bring more people to the album. I agree it would´ve helped if everything was put closer together and Lucky wasn´t a good idea for a lead single. I personally would´ve went like this:
- 1st Promotional Single: The End - July 26, 2024
- Lead Single: Ego - August 15
- 2nd Promotional Single: Lonely Is The Muse - September 6 + Album Announcement, Album Trailer & pre-order
I would´ve followed this with performance at the VMA´s and Halsey´s game of searching for alternative covers.
I love the idea of impersonating people who inspired this album, but i would start with it earlier, almost immediately after album announcement. I would also use it as a way to reveal the tracklist. Halsey would reveal the impersonation, title of song, short snippet & she could also write a little note about what she loves about this artist and why they inspired her....
- 2nd Single: Panic Attack - October 10
Album Release: October 25
I´m not sure how big of a change it would´ve made but it definitely wouldn´t make any damage.
She's genuinely such a profound lyricist it's kind of crazy, her worldbuilding is just a level of creativity I dream to have. I honestly just want to have a fraction of her mind the things I would do with that. One of my biggest inspos
This could easily be one of my fav videos of you, loved the album tho I had to take some breaks as it is deeply moving and raw. Love Halsey all the way, so brave to make her on way.
knowing this is her most evolved version of herself/her sound. listening to this album is like seeing with 4 eyes at once.
How did I miss this!!! Soooo happy to see you doing a Halsey video, and I know Madeline will too, so I'm gonna be double fed
You articulated all of the thoughts that I had, but couldn't put together myself. I really enjoy this album, for its depth of lyrics rather than the melodies.
I listened to it by accident (was washing so physically unable to skip) and ended up liking the whole thing. It was one sound after another and I haven’t listened to any of her albums besides badlands so this reminded me of how taken back I was by her writing and sound. I found out about the other drama about pitchfork and her illness later. People really like to pick and choose which angsty artists they’re going to hate on huh
I know this album is called The Great Impersonator, but listening to the lyrics it really feels like she was cutting herself open and pinpointing to us precisely where the wounds are. It's raw and emotional and intense in a way that still feels relatable and poetic and artistic. Much like IICHLIWP, I don't think this album is designed to break records or have hit singles, and it doesn't have to be.
This is such a good review. And as a Halsey stan, I’m so grateful you really approached this album and review it’s such good faith. Since it’s come out, I feel like there’s been a number of bad faith readings of the album, and that’s so sad because so many reviews refuse to engage with its most interesting subject matter imo. It’s also only through this recent album release and through this review that I’m learning that Halsey is NOT a well-known artist. Wild, because to me, having followed Halsey’s every song since shortly after Badlands’ release, Halsey is the “biggest” musician that I would want to see perform live (other than Taylor Swift, but Taylor is bigger than God these days, and that sounds too stressful live). Of all my most treasured musicians, they’ve had the most commercial success. They are a mainstream pop girlie TO ME 😂 IICHLIWP is my favorite album of all time.
i love when you and madeline plug eachother its so cute
I agree this is one of her best records to date‼️ it debuted on my birthday as well!
I don’t think she has ever needed a “moment”
She has always had an Alt/ pop. I love seeing her making music that she loves and needs to get out of her self.
This is yes a concept album but also seems like this was therapy like it could have been her last album.
YESSS i was waiting for this!!!
I love u for saying everything that was needed omg 🥲🥲🥲
The NODAYSOFFologist is REALLY here😮 Congratulations on the hard work Zack!
I can always count on you for timely album reactions
❤ live love halseyologist
period!
I loved this read!! It's really interesting hearing your perspective and read on this project and Halsey's career in the grand scheme of the pop/indie pop industry
Happy birthday Zack! You are quite literally the funniest person on this planet and I always look forward to Sundays when you have a video out just for a good laugh and better understanding on things! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Yay! So glad you’re doing a Halsey video!
Emergencies happen so we clap and cheer for any all efforts from you that go above and beyond ❤
Swiftologist this is an incredible deep dive! I thoroughly enjoyed this💕
Halsey has touched me through her music on the most personal level. I was so excited for this album I was sitting and waiting in Spotify to click play the moment it was released. Best experience of my life for sure. This record is not my favorite but still super good and a masterpiece nonetheless.
Holy crap, from the title I thought I was gonna have to throw hands thinking this was gonna be shitting on H, but this is actually such a thorough, intricate video essay and I really enjoyed it! Thanks for putting this together 💜
i cried all night last night because of this album. SOBBED.... it broke my heart as someone who's loved halsey since i was a kid.
i completely agree with the dislike for the tying the songs with icons, it almost convinced me i wouldn’t like this album because it wouldn’t be halsey at all, but i was so glad i was proven wrong !!!
as a teen who’s painfully chronically ill this album has been making me BAWL all day ☹️☹️ Letter to God (1974 & 1983) especially struck me to my core, before I got diagnosed I remember praying that I had cancer when I was younger so I’d at least know what was wrong with me 😭
I literally have never listened to Halsey, but I am always seated for your thoughtful analysis. ❤️
I was patiently WAITING for it🎉
Aaah stoked! Thanks Halseyologist 😘