Alternative-pop artist Halsey released the lead single “The End” for her highly anticipated fifth studio album “The Great Impersonator” on June 4. “The End” was carried with finger-strummed guitar chords and melancholic vocals, a far cry from many of their past singles, which were grounded heavily in pop with a subtle rock backdrop. The new tone revealed the beginning of a new, tender era in Halsey’s career.
Following the release of “The End,” Halsey took to Instagram to explain that she was “lucky to be alive,” giving reason to the somberness of her new single with the announcement that she’d been struggling with two rare diagnoses, lupus and T-cell lymphoproliferative. On top of her health struggles, in the lead-up to her album’s release, she’d become a single mother and was dropped by the label she’d created her last four albums under.
With the cards stacked against her, Halsey released her fifth studio album, “The Great Impersonator” on Oct. 25, revealing a softer and more nostalgic spin on Halsey’s sound that they described as “in the space between life and death.” Despite how personal many of the lyrics are, the concept of the album is cemented in the worry that Halsey wasn’t sure she knew who she was anymore upon their myriad of health struggles and the push-and-pull of fame.
Hence the title, each track from the album is inspired by the works of artists Halsey admires, pulling from a diverse list featuring icons such as Stevie Nicks, Bjork, Bruce Springsteen and even a younger version of herself. While the musical inspiration shifts from song to song, taking the listener on a journey throughout various eras of musical influence, the one thing that remains constant is the brilliant delivery of heartbreaking vocals and clever songwriting.
Halsey poses as Marilyn Monroe. Photo courtesy of Instagram.
The opening track “The Only Living Girl In LA” was credited as being inspired by Marilyn Monroe. The lyrics reflect Halsey dealing with what felt like an imminent death, referencing how Monroe was disrespected by the media after her passing and making satirical commentary within the song, questioning if the media would do the same to her.
With lyrics like “I wonder if I ever left behind my body, you think they’d laugh at how I died? Or take a photo of my family in the lobby?” this track sets the tone for the rest of the album to be an acoustic-heavy reflection of life in the spotlight while battling complex health issues behind the scenes.
Even with the leading tracks’ softer acoustic style, Halsey brings the heat with “Lonely Is The Muse” which they credited to the likeness of Amy Lee of Evanescence. In a brilliant example of Halsey’s versatility and vocal abilities, the angry lyrics that compose this song are not sung with a defeated bitterness, but rather a provoked audacity.
“Lonely Is The Muse” is immediately followed by “Arsonist,”, inspired by Fiona Apple, which highlights Halsey’s anger with much more breathy vocals and pointed tones. “Arsonist” is a similarly themed song to “Lonely Is The Muse” but performed and composed with such a contrast it’s hard to believe they’re by the same artist, let alone within the same album.
Halsey poses as PJ Harvey. Photo courtesy of Instagram.
The following tracks “Ego” and “Dog Years” are performed in a much heavier style, inspired by the works of rock legends Dolores O’Riordan and PJ Harvey, and much more reminiscent of Halsey’s older works. These tracks carry their style with the vocal power similar to that of “Nightmare” and the rock influence that lead her previous album “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power”.
The melodic vibes are carried on throughout the album with songs like “I Believe In Magic” and “Hometown,” bringing in the unique perspective of Halsey’s new era. Both songs are rooted in bittersweet nostalgia, an ode to growing out of your chaotic household yet having a deep yearning for understanding you’ve grown past that.
“The Great Impersonator” includes three interludes titled “Letters To God” which tell a story in three parts. These tracks essentially work as a summary of the different themes present in the album, referencing Halsey’s childhood, health struggles and having their identity changed by fame.
The lyricism’s brutal honesty is almost hard to listen to, as she describes how she once used to wish to be sick, and ends with the haunting refrain of “Please, God, or whoever you are” as they tackle the worry that they won’t see their child grow old.
The album closes with the title track “The Great Impersonator,” a colorful yet appropriately sorrowful ending to an album that detailed great personal struggles and finding identity in fame.
The song begs the question, “Does a story die with its narrator?” a line that feels almost reminiscent of Halsey’s debut “Badlands” where she sang “I’m well acquainted with villains that live in my head / They beg me to write them so I’ll never die when I’m dead” on the track “Control.” The track encapsulates her career as a performer, with whimsical vocals atop a bright backtrack, despite the dark lyrics surrounding the subject of her own death.
“The Great Impersonator” is a deeply personal work and a record that thrives in storytelling. Between the finger-picking guitar style and personal voice memos relayed on select tracks and stripped vocals, this album stands out against every other pop album delivered this year with its stark individuality. With an album they thought would be their last, Halsey chose to show the world the most complex version of herself yet and brilliantly showcased their musical range across 18 unique tracks.
Kylee Leahy is a senior majoring in Journalism. When she isn’t writing, she’s likely front row at a concert somewhere.
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