When Halsey first announced her third studio album back in March of 2019, she revealed that the record would be out the same year but then fans received a curveball come September when the global superstar announced a January release date along with the album title, Manic. The wait has been long but the wait has also been worth it.
On Manic, Halsey shared in an interview with Rolling Stone that she was leaning on sounds from hip-hop to rock to country before saying "fucking everything — because it’s so manic. It’s soooooo manic. It’s literally just, like, whatever the fuck I felt like making; there was no reason I couldn’t make it." Upon first listen, it's safe to say that Halsey wasn't lying as Manic proves to shed light (and darkness) on her many moods, it's undeniably Halsey.
From the opening track "Ashley" (which for locals not in the know, is her actual real name), Halsey straps us into our seats as she prepares us to enter the very personal mind of one of the biggest names in pop music of the past decade. The track ends with a line cut from one of her favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with Kate Winslet saying "Too many guys think I’m a concept, or I complete them, or I’m gonna make them alive. I’m just a fucked up girl who’s lookin’ for my own peace of mind. Don’t assign me yours.”
As the merry-go-round of Manic continues, we're pulled into the whimsical darkness of "clementine" where Halsey sings "I don't need anyone, I don't need anyone, I just need everyone and then some." The eerie sounds and the lyrical content of "clementine" are a match made in Halsey's heaven. "Graveyard" begins to squeeze the mainstream appeal of Halsey onto your speakers before the brilliance of her latest single, "You should be sad" hits. Any song with the lyric "I'm so glad I never ever had a baby with you" deserves a standing ovation! The video for the single pays homage to her favorites like Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain and Christina Aguilera, check it out below!
For all of the dark tones, lyrics and sounds Manic holds, there's a gorgeous, blissful melody to counter it somewhere. "Forever... (is a long time)" features a production that opens like a fairytale before slowly transforming into a gravely sinister moment, it's Halsey in a nutshell.
The first album collaboration comes on "Dominic's Interlude" which features American singer/rapper Dominic Fike and it's a standout moment, there's a Beach Boys moment towards the end that i want on repeat for all of eternity but the goodness doesn't stop there as it bleeds into track seven, "I HATE EVERYBODY," which is begging for single release.
Halsey bangs it out on "3am," delivering the albums heaviest rock moment yet. The best of Halsey's signature brand of pop and rock come alive on the massive hit (one listen to "3am" will get you in the know) "Without Me" before the twangy sounds of "Finally // beautiful stranger" come alive, a gorgeous breath of fresh air on Manic.
"Alanis' Interlude" sees the one, the only, Alanis Morissette join Halsey for an almighty moment, these two powerhouses bring the goods as the song is right up Morissette's alley, not a single misstep on this collaboration.
On "killing boys" Halsey is a bonafide bad ass with lyrics like "Climb up to the window and I’m breakin’ the glass. Then I stop, 'cause I don’t wanna Uma Thurman your ass," it's hard not to love all the bad assery of this song. Even K-POP makes a splash on Manic, with Halsey inviting SUGA of the super-popular group BTS for "SUGA's Interlude." "More" gives us some of the best of Halsey as we near the end of this personal journey of a ride, I can already hear all of the stunning bootleg remixes that will come from this one.
"Still Learning" kicks things up a notch as Halsey sings "and know that I love you" before breaking into the chorus "But I'm still learning to love myself," highlighting Halsey's ability to take the words that belong in a diary and turning them into infectious lyrics and melodies. Though the ride isn't over yet as "929," inspired by her September 29th birthdate, ends Manic with one of the most personal tracks on the album. A signature sign-off for an artist who's brand of confessional pop has propelled her to superstardom. Her latest body of work only takes fans deeper into the mind of Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, Manic is one hell of a ride that you won't want to get off of.
