Halsey- The Great Impersonator (October 25, 2024) Album • Page 10

Are you sure Charli also did $4.99? I remember both Blink 182 and Coldplay did a last minute discount on digital albums to $4.99 days before the charts closed and it helped them lock in enough extra sales to nab #1

 

One thing that really impresses me about this album is how cohesive and focused it is. With the length, singles, and “impersonator” gimmick, I thought it’d be one of those albums that pivots a lot stylistically, almost like a genre playlist. Every song, though, fits perfectly with the tracks around it, adding up to such an effective, heartfelt whole. Such a great journey of an album.

 

Its a strategy many artists have been doing over the last year or so. It will count as sales for the week. Some real competition up against Tyler The Creator right now tho.

 

I think Tyler is about to skyrocket to the top to be honest

 

I can't see a world where Tyler isn't number 1, Halsey also surely knows this and is just trying to make sure it's a respectable showing. My guess for this is like 45-60k? But I really believe she's not too concerned with sales on this because it's pretty clear this was just music she literally had to make.

 

According to Hits Daily Double this is expected to sell between 80k and 100k.
Tyler will most likely be #1, but it doesn’t help him that he missed 3 days and doesn’t have any physical formats out yet. Could be close.

 

he actually has vinyl that’s already shipping

 

oh my bad! Then yeah he’s definitely nabbing it. I’d guess he does 150k and she gets #2 with 100k

 

Fork panned this

 

Time to bring this back.

 

I like pieces of this but I think that review is pretty well-written and definitely verbalizes some barriers to entry I still have to their music, mainly the self-martydom stuff.

 

I think it’s dumb to complain about negative reviews of things you like. Decided on a whim to look this one up, though, and it honestly was kind of a dud to me. Oh well, whatever.

 

gave the full thing a listen for the first time yesterday. i think i need more time to digest it all, but i admire their vulnerability throughout. i do kinda agree with the Pitchfork review calling the "impersonator" concept slightly gimmicky, although their review really seemed to hone in more on the failure of the gimmick than the music itself, which is kinda dumb.

 

I didn’t really understand the gimmick? A lot of those songs sound nothing like the artist Halsey was implying the track was inspired by.

Incredible lyrics on here but the music is just meh. A lot of it blends together sonically.

 

either they're loosely inspired by said artist or the gimmick was an afterthought that could be used as a marketing tool (probably the latter)

 

Yeah, the focus was a bit disproportionately on the marketing, without getting all that into the album itself and what it is, imo. And also around who Halsey personally is. Which, like, those are absolutely part of how one engages with an album, but here it became too much of the focus.

The themes of the album, of going from a young person with suicidal inclinations to a loving mother with major health issues and grappling with her mortality & identity… just aren’t engaged at all, lol. How do you write a major long form review and not spend time on that? Your conclusion can be that it doesn’t work, but actually dig into it, y’know? Instead of talking about photo shoots for social media and her dynamic with her famous exes.

 

critics hate when artists dont have a very clearly definable sense of identity lol.. they hate when artists play

i love this whole thing a lot, the more i listen. i love their approach to writing being sort of diary esque, revealing their most embarrassing / dark thoughts. feel like that is a lot of my favorite pop music sort of like a meme where you're like wait we all feel this specific weird feeling?

also shouts out to all alll the letter to god versions. think the way this was recorded makes it feel super living and breathing to me. i was watching this interview where she talks about how she had to take a longer break from music than she wanted to and how this record was her trying all the things she wanted to when she was in the hospital scared she wasn't going to live. i feel like you can hear that like the whole album is just them really getting to dig deep and explore music and song writing without necessarily thinking about a clear polished end product

 

I personally disagree with the idea of Halsey being too self serious. They seem very self aware of their own contradictions if you ask me. I don't think Halsey actually believes themself to be the victim, but she does feel that way sometimes, perhaps despite herself.

I'm thinking of the end of Manic with the whole thing about being wrong about their time of birth and calling themself a liar. It's more or less a joke, but it's also a really grounding moment.

 

I think Halsey is shamelessly honest and overwrought in a way that I personally quite appreciate. (Honestly, in the short window that I've been a serious fan, I've already had a couple moments of feeling the emotional tone too much and pivoting to something else, lol.) But, I also understand that not being for everyone.

 

Checking this out now and "Only Living Girl in LA" is a really great way to open the album.

 

It's just stuff like the line in that song about telling their mom they'd die before they're 27 that makes me roll me eyes. They've been through a lot and a lot of the things they sing about come across very earnestly, but occasionally, there's a clunker that's just vague or feels way too emo/theater kid lol

 

This is such a wild example to me, lol. Like, it’s a core part of the theme of this album, of going from a child with a death wish to a mother who’s been terribly ill. And, it’s one that’s blunt and straightforward in a way that my friend and I texted about being effective and relatable, lol.

Cannot imagine rolling my eyes at that one tbh.

 

Yeah I'm only halfway through but I'm loving pretty much everything about this so far. The lyrics are vulnerable and full of personality, outlining her experiences and reflecting on them. Moving through all of the different influences and eras of music is really fun too. There hasn't been a miss for me yet.