The album that defines experimentation, The Great Impersonator is Halsey’s latest and greatest album; an album she thought would be her last, harrows in truth, love, loss and deep honesty as she gives fans her truest self.
Diagnosed with lupus at the same time as leukemia and postpartum depression, becoming a single mother and being dropped from her label:all of this happened for Halsey in the space of a few years. Her fifth album is her revealing all to her loyal fan base, this is her diary and we are reading it.
Not only revealing all about who she is now, thus paying tribute to herself, she also pays tribute to artists across decades. The 66 minute album is a timeline from the ‘70s all the way to the 2000s, playing homage and taking inspiration for certain tracks from some of the biggest artists of our time.
Opening with the track “Only Living Girl in LA”, inspired by Marylin Monroe, is a compelling introduction to the themes of the album: mortality, self harm and the ongoing conversation of the complications of fame. With a subtle acoustic guitar, it could be heard as a simple country ballad, but the lyrics are far from simple.
Track five, “Panic Attack” is a dreamy ‘70s hit inspired by Stevie Nicks, lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, in which you can hear the elements of their hit song “Dreams”. The song highlights how love can be bad for your health, lyrically similar to Halsey’s popular song “Graveyard” from her third album Manic, yet musically different, showcasing the complexity of her artwork and creativity throughout her career.
Track six, “I believe in magic” inspired by Linda Ronstadt, and accompanied by voice memos of her almost three year old son, Ender, the track gives fans an insight on motherhood, aging and her own relationship with her mother and how those experiences mirrored one another.
Track 11 is a powerhouse of lyrics and production. “Darwinism” takes inspiration from music legend David Bowie and details the story of identity and understanding where she belongs in the world. The track builds throughout, creating its own atmosphere, with the sounds of a haunting piano and Halsey’s vocals soft but powerful.
The album is non-skippable, with each track offering you something different, a surprise each time and showcasing the diversity Halsey has as an artist, filled with some of her powerful lyrics yet; this is her at her most vulnerable.
Halsey never stops herself from exploring any genre she wants, never allowing herself to be restrained and handcuffed to one sound. Throughout this album you can really see how much Halsey has grown in confidence without being scared to venture outside the box of an artist. She’s called a pop star, but with this album she is so much more than that.
Halsey has never been afraid to go dark and experiment with rock and metal. Her fourth album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, produced by rock legends Nine Inch Nails showcased her love for that genre and The Great Impersonator doesn’t shy away from that.
“Lonely is the Muse”, “Ego” and “Arsonist” all step into the sounds of heavy guitars, gritty lyrics and the sounds of what some may call the Underworld. This album is a constant contrast, light and dark and good versus evil:we see her opening up those important conversations through her music that other artists are afraid to cover
“Life of the Spider’”, inspired by Tori Amos, is just Halsey, her piano and the most gut- wrenching lyrics about how her chronic illness swallowed her into nothing, comparing herself to just a spider on the wall, easy to kill.
Although you hear a multitude of different influences throughout, this album is so authentically Ashley, or as the music industry knows her as, Halsey.
10/10
Image credit: Columbia Records
