Halsey's latest effort is an intimate look into the singer's inner most thoughts and feelings.
Following the success of her 2015 debut album, Badlands, Halsey had big shoes to fill when it came to new projects. Although her 2017 album, hopeless fountain kingdom featured hits such as, ‘Bad at Love’ and ‘Now or Never’ it did not seem to carry the same authenticity and creative ambition as its predecessor. However, her newest project, Manic is a 16 track album that is powerful within its own right.
Halsey displays a certain vulnerability in Manic that allows fans to connect with her on a personal level. Specifically, ‘Without Me’ and ‘You should be sad’ are deeply intimate songs that highlight the pain and resentment that can only be caused by heartbreak. The specificity of the lyrics of this album make it feel like the listener is given access to the intimate entries of Halsey’s diary.
In addition, tracks like ‘Finally//Beautiful Stranger’ and ‘More’ step away from the singer’s upbeat pop style, offering a softer tone within the album. Rest assured though, Halsey manages to keep her trademark edgy yet bubble gum sound in anthems like, ‘Graveyard’ and ‘3am’ that are on brand with her previous mainstream singles. One unique aspect to the album is the variety of interludes featuring artists like Dominic Fike, Alanis Morissette and BTS’ SUGA which lend their own artistic flair to the album.
All in all, Halsey’s third studio album, Manic contains a collection of songs that will please her already established fan base and draw new ones in through her musical versatility and talent for storytelling.