Manic - Halsey

It seems hard to define Halsey as a typical pop-star. Her rise to fame through an alternative-pop debut, Badlands, was a different beginning point from most beginning pop singers. Her second album, hopeless fountain kingdom, was more of a foray into the pop world, but even then it wasn't pure pop (whatever that means in the genre-less era of music we live in). Maybe that's the point - she's a pop star in an era where pop isn't as clear cut as it used to be. That idea, of genre fluidity, is very clear with the release of her third album, Manic. Pop, alternative, country, k-pop all make brief appearances, but genre is not the only fluid aspect. Some songs fit the traditional formats (verse/chorus/bridge etc.), while others are more experimental, with only verses and no chorus or more stream of consciousness. Much like the intro video provided on Spotify indicates, Manic represents the deepest and most honest aspects of who Halsey is as a person. What better way to do it than without fitting the molds and preconceived notions of society?

One of the things I've noticed with listening to this album is how much it feels like a glass of fresh water. In comparison, hopeless fountain kingdom feels more and more like an sugary drink. It seems like the last couple years have inspired a lot of growth in Halsey, both as an artist and a person. That growth is evident in her music, the lyrics especially. From the start, this is clear - "Ashley" opens the album with some heavy hitting lines and melodies. According to the Spotify timeline for the song, Halsey was very much inspired by a lot of the "emo" music she listened to growing up. The chorus then brings to mind a lot of those emo songs and bands that many people from my generation grew up on (Taking Back Sunday, The Used, etc). "clementine" follows with a very stripped down instrumental while the vocals play a big part in creating layers and adding depth to the song. There are a few moments where Halsey sings the same line, but a different version of the vocals are overlapping simultaneously. This creates contrast in the way the lines are delivered - one version sings like normal, while the other yells it out, sometimes in key and sometimes not. Again, according to the Spotify timeline for the song, Halsey is playing on different versions of herself. The more composed lines are Halsey, the performer, while the yelled lines are Ashley, the person she truly is.

The biggest and most surprising example of vulnerability is from the song "More", which I had liked for the melody and instrumentation. As I dove deeper into the lyrics, however, I discovered the crushing weight of the words fueling the song. Written to an unborn child, Halsey seems to be addressing the three miscarriages she revealed to have gone through. The song takes on an all new meaning in light of that information, going from romantic to heartbreaking.

Some of the songs manage to be honest and vulnerable while sounding quite catchy. "you should be sad" is the best example of that. The soft country sound and steady beat keep you stimulated, while the break-up lyrics are sure to resonate emotionally with listeners. It's a perfect combo, and one that Halsey executes quite well. "Without Me" is another example, although one that I was surprised to see on the album considering it was released at the end of 2018. It's growing close to a billion plays on Spotify, and is also a break-up centric song - seems to be an avenue that sells well.

One of my favorites so far is "Finally // beautiful stranger". The more mellow tone, the acoustic guitar chords with the soft electric guitar melody in the background, all set the mood for Halsey to croon to this mysterious stranger. Halsey reveals a hesitancy, an apprehension to opening up to this potential love. The romantic quality of the song is heartwarming, especially given the vulnerability Halsey expresses. It’s not sugar coated, but an accurate depiction of a budding romance. "killing boys" is another one that stuck out early on. It's one of the few angry, gritty sounding songs on the album. At the same time, the vocals sound so pretty during certain points - especially the first chorus. The contrast of the anger evident in the lyrics with the delivery of the vocals creates a sound that I've come back to quite a bit in the time since the album released.

While I enjoyed a lot of the songs, not all of them resonated with me. “I HATE EVERYBODY” and “3am” were two that I wasn’t as big on for different reasons. The former I liked musically, but not lyrically, while the musical direction of “3am” wasn’t quite my jam. The only song I dislike is “Alanis’ Interlude”. I’m not that big on Alanis Morissette, so her presence already made me not primed to enjoy it. The interludes in general felt like an odd choice - with the album being so personal, the decision to have guest artists didn’t seem to make sense. I did like “Suga’s Interlude”, which was great in terms of the instrumental and vocals. The contrast of Halsey’s soft vocals with the rapping provided by Suga from BTS is an unexpected combo, but works very well.

Upon the first few initial listens, I was not sold on this album. But as I’ve been listening to it with more intentionality, I’ve been working through the layers to see what this album is trying to do. The fullness with which Halsey puts herself on display is admirable, and resonates with the listener as they engage with the record. I listened to both badlands and hopeless fountain kingdom as I was going through this process, with the new album in mind. It became quite easy to see the journey Halsey has been on from the beginning of her career until now. As a person and an artist, she has grown an immense amount. She's revealing more of who she is and making the music she wants to make. It’s always cool to see that process, and it makes me excited for what is next for her musical career.