Since the release of her single “The End” and her return to music after a year-long break while she battled multiple chronic diseases, Halsey’s been teasing her fifth studio album.
Releasing an album trailer on Aug. 27, she announced “The Great Impersonator,” a self-proclaimed “confessional concept album” that explores the kind of music she would’ve made had she debuted in different decades. Halsey’s leaning into the artistic aspects of this album. In addition to the music, she’s using hair, makeup, costumes and filters to completely embody the art and soul of each decade.
Along with the trailer, Halsey has released an EP of all the singles to give fans a taste of what this album has in store.
Bringing Back Punk
“Ego” is an upbeat, punk-pop track about fighting the bad parts of yourself. With lyrics like “I think that I should kill my ego, ‘cause if I don’t, my ego might kill me” and “I’m really not that happy being me,” it explores a concept mentioned in the album trailer. “If it all ended right now, is this the person you’d be proud to leave behind? Is it even you?”
Leaning into the artistic aspect with the accompanying music video, Halsey is seen dressing up as a feminine and masculine version of herself chasing each other around a house in a fight. Everything from the costumes to the set hits viewers with a wave of nostalgia for the movies that came out in the ’90s.
Self-Reproach of Love
“Lonely is the Muse” is an early 2000s-inspired heavy rock track. It’s a dark reflection of her past relationships, a prevalent topic in her previous work. While her early work is filled with sadness and longing about the feelings surrounding these romantic partners and relationships, this track is filled with rage targeted at herself. It’s an angry declaration of everything she’s done for them, and how it destroyed her and left her alone in the end.
“But I was built from special pieces / That I learned how to unscrew / And I can always reassemble / To fit perfectly for you / Or anybody that decides / That I’m of use / Lonely is the muse,” she sings.
Pain Behind the Glamour
“Lucky” is another early 2000s-inspired pop track inspired by the likes of Britney Spears, sampling Spears’ track of the same name. It takes on the same narrative format as Spears’ version, yet is set more in a first-person point of view. It almost continues the narrative of Spears’ version, writing about her experience with fame in a retrospective way, completing the story Spears’ started. With a bridge detailing the harsh behind-the-scenes events of her life that were shadowed by the glamorous events of her career in the spotlight, like her split from her child’s father and her struggle with multiple chronic illnesses, Halsey pulls back the curtain and reveals the reality of fame.
Halsey teased this song for days by posting glittery photos, paparazzi-style videos and a mock tabloid magazine cover on her Instagram, giving fans early 2000s realness. The accompanying music video further leaned into this, featuring Halsey in several sparkly body-suit costumes, bright pink hair and facing more paparazzi.
“The Great Impersonator” is set to be released on Oct. 18.
