Halsey, the genre-defying pop sensation, has officially announced her fifth studio album titled The Great Impersonator. The announcement came through a decades-spanning trailer that captures the essence of the upcoming “confessional concept album.” The 29-year-old artist, known for hits like “You Should Be Sad” and “Colors,” shared the news with fans, offering a glimpse into a deeply personal project that explores identity, self-reflection, and artistic evolution.
In the teaser, Halsey, who uses she/they pronouns, narrates a poignant reflection: “I really thought this album would be the last one I ever made.” This statement sets the tone for a project that seems to be as much about looking inward as it is about looking back at the cultural touchstones of past decades.
The trailer features Halsey donning various retro outfits and hairstyles, embodying iconic figures from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s. As they ponder what their career might have looked like in different eras, they ask, “What if I debuted in the early 2000s? The ’90s? The ’80s? The ’70s? Am I still Halsey every time?” These questions, posed in a reflective voiceover, hint at the album’s exploration of identity across different timelines.
Visually, the teaser shows Halsey paying homage to music legends like David Bowie and Britney Spears, the latter of whom they previously honored in their track “Lucky.” The video also includes snippets of unreleased songs, each evoking the musical styles of different decades, promising a nostalgic yet innovative listening experience.
As the trailer concludes, the words “The Great Impersonator: A Confessional Concept Album by Halsey” appear, solidifying the project as one deeply tied to the artist’s journey of self-discovery and expression.
In the lead-up to the album’s release, Halsey has already dropped three singles: “The End,” “Lucky,” and most recently, “Lonely Is the Muse.” Each track offers a glimpse into the themes and sounds that will define The Great Impersonator, blending introspection with bold creative choices.
This announcement comes after a year of significant personal challenges for Halsey. In June, the artist opened up on Instagram about her health struggles, revealing that she had been diagnosed with Lupus SLE and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in 2022. “Both of which are currently being managed or in remission; and both of which I will likely have for the duration of my life,” Halsey shared with her fans, expressing gratitude for the support they’ve shown her.
Despite the excitement surrounding her new music, Halsey has also been candid about her reservations regarding a return to the public eye. In a recent Tumblr post, she addressed the negativity she’s faced from some fans since her comeback, revealing that it has made her “regret coming back” to the spotlight. “My own fans are hands down meaner to me than any other people on the planet,” she wrote, adding that it has become difficult to engage in a space “completely devoid of any kindness, sympathy, patience; or to be honest human decency.”
Halsey’s struggles with her health and the challenges of re-entering the public sphere have undoubtedly influenced the themes of The Great Impersonator, making it not just an album but a reflection of her journey over the past few years.
As anticipation builds for The Great Impersonator, fans can look forward to an album that not only explores Halsey’s artistic evolution but also offers a deeply personal look at the person behind the music.
