The Great Impersonator: Halsey’s Greatest Work Yet
On Friday 25th October, Halsey released their fifth studio album. The Great Impersonator is their most vulnerable record to date, detailing their struggle to come to terms with their mortality, in the face of serious illness. After wiping their Instagram, Halsey announced the first single from the album: 'The End’. In June this year, having not yet announced the album’s name, she shared the song with fans. Shortly after a more personal collection of photos and videos followed, alongside the caption:
“long story short, i’m Lucky to be alive. short story long, i wrote an album. it begins with The End. out now.”
They later expanded on this caption via a third post... In 2022, Halsey was diagnosed with Lupus SLE [Systemic Lupus Erythematosus]. Lupus often causes joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and sun sensitivity, resulting in rashes. Usually, lupus is not fatal, but there is a risk of kidney failure in severe cases, as well as damage to the heart, lungs or brain. They also received a diagnosis of a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder can describe many different illnesses, but they all share a defining trait. They are characterised by the overproduction of lymphocytes (white blood cells in the bone marrow). This often results in issues with the functioning of the bone marrow and/ or swollen lymph nodes. Halsey explained that they are currently in remission for both illnesses but will likely continue to struggle with them for the rest of their life.
Halsey set the tone for this body of work before giving it to the world. This album was not made for the charts, the numbers, the sales. This album was made by an artist fearful that it might be their last. A notion that many reviews have failed to grasp. Shaad D’Souza cuttingly describes verses from the album as containing an “indulgently sad veneer” and critiques the album as a whole as feeling “like it’s designed to position Halsey as a tortured, singular artist.”
I disagree. But even if we take this statement as correct, is there really anything heinous or wrong about that? Halsey’s diagnoses came only a year after the birth of their son. So, my question is: what is the crime in feeling tortured by the possibility of being forcibly taken away from your young child? Much of The Great Impersonator explores the cruelty of life at times as Halsey finds her life contorted into some sick cosmic joke. And don’t even get me started on what Anthony Fantano had to say. Fantano poses the question to his audience, “why does every goddamn song on this record sound like it has been written from the perspective of some troubled girl character from [a family television drama].”
He then goes on to dub this album as the worst case of main character syndrome that he has ever seen. Forgive me for thinking that there is a fundamental aspect of this body of work that reviews such as these miss. Don’t get me wrong, you can empathise with Halsey’s circumstances and decide that this album is not for you. But the problem is… the lack of empathy. A lack of empathy which results in an inability to consider why this album could be written from an introspective, melancholic lens. The themes of Halsey’s threateningly present mortality is not exactly disguised. Her lyrics are poetic but she does not conceal her fears as from the initial single she sings:
“When I met you I said I would never die
But the joke was always mine ‘cause I’m racing against time
And I know it’s not the end of the world, but could you pick me up at eight?‘Cause my treatment starts today.”
While promoting this album, Halsey teased how each song is directly inspired by one of her personal musical icons. Accompanying each song is a photoshoot of Halsey impersonating their influence for that track. ‘The End’ takes inspiration from Joni Mitchell.
‘Only Living Girl In LA’, the opening track of the album, was the last song to have its inspiration revealed. On it, Halsey impersonates the eternally iconic Marilyn Monroe.
Confronting the themes addressed within the album’s title, the opening song ponders how the world knows Halsey - a public figure that has been ruthlessly consumed by the public for entertainment. But they don’t know Ashley Frangipane, the person behind the persona. They wonder how people would react in the event of Halsey’s passing. The song also addresses how those around them will exploit them posthumously. Whether the public will treat them graciously or if they will be met with ridicule. And whether their funeral will be a ticketed event that they will be criticised for failing to sell out.
Track two is ‘Ego’ and Dolores O’Riordan is the inspiration behind the track. This song pairs a fast paced, foot-tapping instrumental with the strikingly vulnerable lyrics that characterise the album. This song sees Halsey question whether keeping up pretences for the sake of others’ feelings is worth it. Halsey personifies their inner conflict by battling a version of themself in the music video.
‘Hurt Feelings’ is my personal favourite on the album, as Halsey impersonates herself. On this track, Halsey reminisces about who they were in their past. The song portrays that strange feeling when so much time has passed that your previous self starts to feel like a completely different person. Halsey uses this song to mull over the effects childhood relationships play on their adult life, particularly that with their father.
‘Lucky’ is the 16th track on the album and the lead single. Halsey impersonates Britney Spears for this one. The track features an interpolation of the Britney Spears song by the same name. Immediately after the video's release, Spears initially reacted negatively, posting on social media about how she believed the video to be a misrepresentation, but she later deleted it. Halsey continues the theme of disguising deeply sad and personal lyrics behind a fun and dancey backing track.
Among the other powerhouses Halsey has impersonated in the days leading up to the album’s release we have PJ Harvey, Bjork, Fiona Apple, David Bowie, Tori Amos, Amy Lee, Cher, Kate Bush, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsting, Stevie Nicks, Aaliyah and Linda Rondstadt. Their marketing strategy for this album - firmly rooting each track with another household name - is part of what drew my attention towards The Great Impersonator. Halsey has managed to honour the people who helped them grow into the person they are today. This album reinforces the massive impact the music we love has on our lives, shaping us until we begin to mimic the art we think matters.
I would say that this is Halsey’s best work to date, but like I discussed before, it doesn’t really matter whether I love this album or hate it. This is a deeply personal collection of songs made during a time that the artist believed was their final opportunity for creativity, and that is something worthy of respect.
