November 2024 - Music

The Great Impersonator by HALSEY

A BATTLE IN EVERY NOTE – Halsey’s long-awaited record, The Great Impersonator, stands out as one of 2024’s most fearless and expansive pop albums. A project of raw emotional honesty and audacious scope, The Great Impersonator sees the artist diving deep into themes of abandonment, self-doubt, mental and physical illness, family dysfunction and mortality. This isn’t just Halsey’s most ambitious album – it’s a powerful confessional that doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, interlacing deeply personal narratives with nods to the artists who shaped her.

At the heart of The Great Impersonator is Halsey’s choice to honor 18 legendary artists across its tracks, each song paying homage to a musical influence through not only sound but through Halsey’s vocal and stylistic choices. It’s a multi-layered tribute, and one she’s gone so far as to capture visually, taking to social media in an homage series where she embodies these icons through stunningly accurate recreations of their most iconic looks.

The Great Impersonator dives headfirst into some of her most personal battles yet, with references to her experiences with lupus and leukemia running through the album’s first half and returning poignantly in the late stages, where “Lucky” sits as an unexpectedly subdued moment of reflection. These tracks document her struggles with illness in a deeply relatable, raw way that feels like the spine of the album’s narrative. 

In “The End,” Halsey flips the script on a somber topic by blending folk-infused chords with lyrics that balance sharp wit and bittersweet humor that acts as a nod to Joni Mitchell. The song closes with a moment that cuts to the core: “Could you pick me up at eight? / ‘Cause my treatment starts today.” 

Yet the cohesion Halsey achieves throughout makes The Great Impersonator more than a collection of impersonations – it’s a bold statement of artistic identity, a testament to the multifaceted artist she’s become through her influences. She leans into the nostalgia, letting the echoes of each icon fill her songs while stamping each with her own distinct, emotive style.

The Great Impersonator is a record that doesn’t flinch from darkness but celebrates the light within Halsey’s deepest inspirations. In reaching back to the artists who defined her, she is shaping a fresh chapter in her story – one that captures the beauty, chaos, and vulnerability of her life and music, while elevating the voices of those who came before.