By: Gracie Swind, Managing Editor
On Fri. Jan. 17, 2020, singer-songwriter Halsey released her third studio album, “Manic.” Over the past two years, the 25-year-old artist has gradually been releasing a number of the songs from “Manic” as singles, generating an enormous amount of hype for the final full release.
Now, a week after the album’s release, it’s clear to see that “Manic” fully delivers on the expectation. Fans and critics alike have been raving about Halsey’s emotional lyrics and incredible variety in genre.
Featuring surprise appearances by Dominic Fike, Alanis Morissette, and Suga of BTS—along with audio samples of Kate Winslet, John Mayer, Amanda Seyfried, and Megan Fox—the album has a unique sound. The inspiration behind the spoken clips and their host songs is up for debate, but the inclusions are more intriguing than confusing; they fit in a satisfying way that can’t really be explained.
Inspiration played a big role in the creation of the album, with the artist drawing from her struggle with bipolar disorder, love, and life. For instance, “Without Me,” Halsey’s Billboard Top 100 number-one hit from 2018, is widely believed to be inspired from her breakup with the rapper, G-Eazy, while it’s heavily speculated that “You should be sad” is referring to the Norwegian producer, Lido, that she dated in the mid-2010s.
The happier love songs are likely dedicated in part to her current partner, Evan Peters, who she’s been dating since late last year. Although serving as the romantic aspects of her inspiration, Halsey’s past and current relationships are not her only motivations for “Manic.”
“Manic” feels, in some ways, like a series of love songs seen through different lenses: love for life, love for others, love for the past, and love lost. Upbeat songs hold a deeper meaning behind the lyrics, and sad songs aren’t simply sad, they’re reflective and introspective, furthering the theme of searching for happiness in the chaos of life.
Halsey creates an atmospheric, calming musical aesthetic for “Manic,” incorporating a wide blend of genres and inspirations. The order in which the songs are listed in the album is clearly intentional and thoughtfully chosen, and when listened to in the intended order, the impact of each song is only multiplied.
The first, “Ashley,” and the last, “929,” songs particularly struck a meaningful chord; they serve to ease in and ease out, respectively, from the listening of “Manic” and they’re gentle and joyful and emotional on a multitude of levels. The album as a whole has a strong replay factor; I found myself noticing new details on each replay.
Getting her start by self-producing her own music, Halsey has managed to make herself something big in the music world. While this shift into the public eye has absolutely destroyed the connection between artist and listener in the past, Halsey has remained extraordinarily intimate.
It reads as though Halsey is baring herself to us through her music in a genuine, honest way. With “Manic,” there is this resounding feeling that this is music meant for individual, real people.
10/10 paws.
