The pop artist Halsey recently released her third studio album, “Manic,” to fans from all over the world.
This album dropped on Jan. 17 and is an intriguing look into Halsey’s life, offering up her stories of heartache and struggle with bipolar disorder.
Preceded by the release of six singles, “Without Me,” “Graveyard,” “Clementine,” “Finally // Beautiful Stranger,” “Suga’s Interlude” and “You Should Be Sad,” the album has been praised by critics for its lyrical maturity and Halsey’s openness.
Personally, I would agree with them; this is a solid album that goes off in many different directions but comes back together to form one cohesive piece of artwork.
Highlights
“You Should Be Sad”
It seems strange that Halsey would create a song in the vein of country music, but I have no gripes with it. In this track, Halsey sings about a former lover, most likely rapper G-Eazy, and how he should be upset that she’s not in a relationship with him anymore.
The tune has a melodic guitar instrumental that coupled with Halsey’s voice sounds incredibly raw, and the blending of genres works incredibly well.
“Finally // Beautiful Stranger”
The first time that I heard this track, it reminded me of Lady Gaga’s 2011 track “You And I,” and the resemblance is certainly there. However, “Finally // Beautiful Stranger” sets itself apart from cheesy romantic ballads from years prior with mature lyrics about falling in love.
This is the first love song Halsey ever wrote, and she did a great job.
“More”
According to Halsey, this is her most personal track on “Manic,” and it shows. The song has Halsey longing for her unborn child, and the rawness and emotion of the lyrics help carry the tune along. It’s far from a sappy tune.
Tracks I didn’t like:
- “3 AM”
- “Alanis’ Interlude”
Overall, “Manic” is a definite step up from Halsey’s earlier work and helps to show off the evolution of her songwriting.
Most of the genres explored mesh together well with her style, with the exception being the alternative rock-influenced “3 AM.”
I absolutely adored how open and raw Halsey was with this album. She wasn’t afraid to hold back, and it shows.
As a fan of her work, I look forward to seeing what paths she’ll carve in the future.
Background
Hailing from Edison, N.J., Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, better known as Halsey, started out her music career by posting videos on YouTube, Kik and other social networks.
She later released her debut single “Ghost” to Soundcloud, which led to her signing with the record label Astralwerks.
In late 2014, Halsey released her debut extended play “Room 93” online and co-headlined a tour with Young Rising Suns.
She also became the opening act for Imagine Dragons during the North American portion of their Smoke + Mirrors Tour.
About a year later, she dropped her first studio album “Badlands,” which received positive reception and charted at the number two spot on the Billboard 200. Her second studio album, “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom,” was released in June 2017 and charted at the number one spot.
Halsey stated in March 2019 that her third album would be released to the public in 2020, and disclosed the title in Sep. 2019 on her social media accounts.\
Later, three features on the album were revealed: rapper Dominic Fike, Suga (of the Korean boy band BTS) and Alanis Morissette.
The album also contains samples from the films “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Jennifer’s Body,” as well as a brief conversation with John Mayer.
