Review: Halsey’s ‘The Great Impersonator’ is a Fearless Exploration of Fame and Identity
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
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.
Halsey posted photos channeling the likes of Amy Lee, Kate Bush, Cher, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Dolores O’Riordan, Aaliyah, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Bjork and Britney Spears. Each photograph is an intentionally crafted tribute, showcasing Halsey’s reverence and love for these artists while celebrating the unique elements each icon brought to their craft.
Musically, The Great Impersonator doesn’t pull any punches. It’s an eclectic and sometimes messy exploration of Halsey’s influences, blending genres and tones inspired by each of her chosen icons. The result is a dynamic and unpredictable listening experience that keeps fans engaged with its many unexpected shifts in style. “Lonely is the Muse” echoes the darker alternative atmosphere of Amy Lee, while “The Great Impersonator” next dives into the ethereal, art-pop landscape of Bjork, before swinging into the haunting, folk-inspired world of Tori Amos in “Life of the Spider.”
Halsey manages to incorporate these elements seamlessly, mixing heavy thematic content with delightful musical surprises that soften the album’s darker moments. There’s a sense of relief in these sonic surprises, a welcome reprieve in the midst of raw, often painful lyrical reflections.
One of the album’s highlights, “Panic Attack,” has her embodying Stevie Nicks, and the results are reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s iconic “Dreams” track that evokes the lush, ethereal soundscapes and glimmering vocals. The track is a blend of mystical vocals, reverb-heavy guitars, and organic production choices that tap into the vintage essence of Nick’s sound, all while weaving in Halsey’s vulnerability.
On “Letter to God (1983),” Halsey offers a Springsteen-esque ode with slow-burning balladism and yearning lyricism that capture the heart of classic Springsteen, echoing his ability to convey vast emotional landscapes with sparse arrangements. It’s a track that evokes introspective lyricism with a sense of Americana grit.
If there’s any track that underscores Halsey’s commitment to capturing her icons’ energy, it’s “Dog Years.” Promised as a PJ Harvey tribute, it delivers on all fronts with its rough, almost primal drama. From raw guitar riffs to Halsey’s fiery, unrestrained vocals, it channels Harvey’s defiant spirit with finesse, balancing poetic intensity with fearless rock bravado. It’s a cathartic journey, capturing the raw emotion Harvey is known for and reinterpreting it through Halsey’s lens.
“Lucky” stands out as a touching nod to one of her greatest inspirations, Britney Spears. Reimagining Spears’ 2000 classic of the same name, Halsey takes the concept of fame’s disillusionment and gives it her own raw, introspective twist. Where Spears’ “Lucky” told the story of a star who “cries in her lonely heart,” Halsey’s rendition dives even deeper into the nuances of celebrity and isolation, reflecting the complicated realities of living life in the spotlight while dealing with personal battles, health challenges and the weight of public perception.
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.
