Halsey, Manic Review
Ashley Frangipane (aka Halsey) is a New York-based pop/indie-rock singer and songwriter. Halsey has a sound that is a playful blend of electro-pop and pop-rock. The New Jersey native debuted with Badlands in 2015, which hit number two on the Billboard 200 chart. 2016, turned ears with her featured appearance on the Chainsmokers’ song “Closer,” with her vocals helping to push the single to the top of the charts. In 2017, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom topped the album chart and featured the Top Five hit “Bad at Love.” At the end of 2018, Halsey earned her first number-one single as a lead artist, “Without Me.” 2019 was a fruitful year with many high-profile collaborative singles, including “11 Minutes” with Travis Barker and Yungblud, and “Boy with Luv” with K-pop superstars BTS. Halsey is now releasing her third full-length album titled, Manic.
[section label=”Positives”] Positives: Halsey is exploring many styles and musical instrumentations on this album. Also, the collaborations are just as varied, which results in a fresh listen. Manic may not be for everyone with a wide range of styles and sounds. The album is very different from Halsey’s previous work, but there are gems for all musical tastes on the album.
[section label=”Bottom Line”] Bottom Line: Manic is the perfect title for this collection of sixteen songs. The many songs hit on styles and feels ranging from pop-rock to electro-pop and hip-hop, rock, and country. However, there is a universal vibe to the project, and at the core is Halsey’s lyric style and her infectious singing. “Nightmare” and “Graveyard” present an introspective lyric storyline. Last year, “Without Me” was released as a single and became her first number one-charting single. Halsey has described her music as being “angry dark music,” but there is more to it than that. She creates melodies and soundscapes that withstand multiple listens and have a sense of flow and development. “Ashley” is a mellow opener that has impressive production, minus the hi-hat pattern, that flows under Halsey’s warm vocals. The use of acoustic guitar is a nice touch, which appears on multiple tracks, “You Should Be Sad” is a standout. “Finally//Beautiful Stranger” again builds upon a catchy acoustic guitar figure with layers of subtle synth sounds and vocal harmonies. Overall, there is something for everyone on Manic. For me, “Suga’s Interlude” was a fast pass, but that is the point of her cross-genre approach. Manic is an album that is built to appeal to a broad audience, and in that sense, Manic is highly successful, and Halsey’s solid vocal skills is the hinge pin. That’s the short of it!
Connect with Halsey: Website |
Bottom Line:
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