Album review: Halsey’s “The Great Impersonator” beautifully blends inspirations, personal story
A closeup image of Halsey’s face is the cover of her fifth studio album, “The Great Impersonator.” The 18-song album was released Oct. 25 and incorporates sonic influences from across the decades by drawing inspiration from artists such as Cher, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton and Björk. (Courtesy of Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment, under exclusive license from Anti-Pop, LLC)
“The Great Impersonator”
Halsey
Columbia Records
Oct. 25
By Reid Sperisen
Oct. 25, 2024 4:54 p.m.
This post was updated Oct. 27 at 9:53 p.m.
Even when its impersonations of other artists grow loose, Halsey’s latest album still delivers intensely personal music.
The singer-songwriter released her fifth studio album “The Great Impersonator” on Friday. The 18-track LP follows 2021’s Grammy-nominated “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” and is Halsey’s first release with Columbia Records. The project is conceptually organized to incorporate influences from across several decades and genres, with Halsey counting down to the album’s release by posting a series of impersonations of musicians on Instagram – from Dolly Parton to Björk – crediting them for shaping the album’s sound. Stretching across 66 minutes of music, “The Great Impersonator” is a dark, moody and spell-binding listen as Halsey ruminates upon their own death and mortality with more vulnerability than ever before.
On the haunting six-minute opener “Only Living Girl in LA,” Halsey immediately establishes the melancholy tone and unfiltered lyrical content that dominates the majority of “The Great Impersonator.” Built over strumming guitars, the track features a simple but stunning vocal performance as Halsey delivers lines such as “Cause I don’t know if I could sell out my own funeral / At least not at this point in time.” Halsey’s discussion of her own death – which takes on several forms throughout the LP – is most effectively eulogized here. The cacophonous final minute of the song – with sounds such as pounding percussion, exaggerated reverb and a baby crying – only serves to increase the dramatic aura and emotional weight Halsey’s words exude.
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The third track “Dog Years” is easily the most riveting on the entire project. Nowhere else on the record is Halsey’s vocal performance so compelling or gripping to listen to. Their whispery, cold, almost detached vocal delivery gives the song a chilling tone, and by the time the song arrives to its third verse, Halsey’s voice has contorted into a foreboding growl while delivering lyrics such as “Well, they say all dogs go to Heaven / Well, what about a bitch?” The introspective rawness and angst of the song’s lyrics is juxtaposed with the growing intensity and ferocity of Halsey’s voice, while the distorted guitar in the background contributes to the track’s memorability.
Two of the most accurate impersonations come at the end of the album’s first third, with “Panic Attack” and “The End.” The former effectively demonstrates its Stevie Nicks influences through production touches and a catchy pop-rock chorus that immediately evoke the gentle lilt of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” The latter delivers upon its promise of referencing Joni Mitchell with its folksy instrumentation as Halsey openly describes her experience with several serious health struggles.
As the album continues, it loses steam in its midsection with some of the more quiet and relaxed songs on the album, such as “I Believe in Magic” and “I Never Loved You.” The retrospective country influences on “Hometown” lack the emotional punch found on other tracks, while “Lonely is the Muse” – which echoes Amy Lee of Evanescence – feels thematically repetitive with its discussion of destructive relationships that leave Halsey feeling used.
Likewise, the three interlude-like tracks – “Letter to God (1974),” “Letter to God (1983)” and “Letter to God (1998)” – each could have benefited from more time to develop their sonic perspectives. Halsey’s Instagram posts suggested that Cher, Bruce Springsteen and Aaliyah would be the influences for each of these songs, respectively. Although a taste of each of these legendary performers can be found on their corresponding “Letter to God” entry, the fact that these three songs are the shortest on the album means they are given limited space to develop. “Letter to God (1983)” in particular – which strongly resembles the production of Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” – had the most potential and deserved an opportunity to be fleshed out into a more complete song.
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Despite these areas where Halsey could have potentially pushed the sonic experimentation of the record even further, “The Great Impersonator” is still a largely successful listen. Admittedly, the entire project is a difficult album to fully dissect, even after multiple listens. The overarching messages of despair, hopelessness and self-criticism are so viscerally detailed that it can be challenging for listeners to be immersed in the LP’s nostalgic punk and rock production.
However, this emotional complexity is part of the album’s strengths. Although it lacks the succinct sonic cohesion and thematic vision of its immaculate alt-pop predecessor “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power,” “The Great Impersonator” manages to cut through its influences to form an album that is true to Halsey’s artistry. It may not be their best piece of work, but the album’s transparency and humanity – especially through its continuously uncomfortable but emotionally resonant ruminations about death – indicate a steady development of Halsey’s point of view and songcraft.
“The Great Impersonator” might see Halsey dabbling in the pastiche of other artists, but the final product is fully her own.