Halsey - Manic ALBUM REVIEW

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Halsey has always been an interesting figure in music to me. I didn’t think that she was all that in the music industry, but once I heard the song “New Americana” from her debut album BADLANDS, I knew that she was going to be a big name. Since then, she’s put out another album in hopeless fountain kingdom, and I just didn’t feel that same artist in that record. She’s had a highly publicized relationship with G-Eazy, and they have since broken up. Now, right before the pandemic, she put out her third album titled Manic, which hopefully will be a step in the right direction for Halsey. Let’s get into it.

Manic is a pop album with R&B, hip-hop, and alt-rock influences. There are also many different styles here too like country and, most notably, K-pop with Suga from one of the biggest bands on the planet BTS being one of the features here. Alternative legend Alanis Morissette and BROCKHAMPTON collaborator Dominic Fike are the other two features on here, but this is Halsey’s album. Unfortunately, it simply isn’t… amazing. I feel like this is too generic for some parts, and with all of the praise going to how unique of a pop record this is, I guess I just don’t see it. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s just so in the middle. Nothing blew me away in the album, but there was nothing that I wanted to skip either. The lyrics are pretty dark, but the sound is uplifting in a twenty one pilots-esque way, which Halsey’s sound compliments well. I just think that Manic was a little boring, even in the attempts where she tries to take risks.

I still prefer BADLANDS and hopeless fountain kingdom over Manic, but I’ll give Halsey some credit for this new project as she tried to make some changes to her overall sound with some pop-punk tinges, and I think if it sounds more refined, Halsey could ride this wave for a little while. Manic feels like a stepping stone to the more complete sound, and if her next album ends up being better than this, I might be able to look at Manic with more fondness.


5/10


Stream Manic here

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube Music



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