Washington, August 28
Singer Halsey has announced her fifth studio album titled 'The Great Impersonator'. The pop star who uses she/they pronouns shared a decades-spanning trailer announcing her forthcoming, "confessional concept album", reported People.
As the teaser plays, Halsey confesses, "I really thought this album would be the last one I ever made."
The video cuts to a series of clips in which the 29-year-old "You Should Be Sad" performer wears retro attire and hairstyles while reflecting on who they may have been if they had pursued a career in prior eras.
"What if I debuted in the early 2000s? The '90s? The '80s? The '70s?" the "Colors" artist wonders in a voiceover. "Am I still Halsey every time? In every timeline, do I still get sick? Do I become a mom?"
In the video, Halsey cosplays musicians from various periods, including David Bowie and Britney Spears, the latter of whom they featured in their previous track "Lucky."
The trailer also features snippets of unreleased tracks by the three-time Grammy nominee that evoke the aesthetic of several decades of music.
"If it all ended right now, is this a person you'd be proud to leave behind? Is it even you?" Halsey concludes.
The end of the teaser features the caption, "'The Great Impersonator' A Confessional Concept Album by Halsey."
In the lead-up to the launch of The Great Impersonator, the singer/songwriter has released three singles, "The End," the aforementioned "Lucky," and, most recently, "Lonely Is the Muse."
In June, one day after releasing "The End," Halsey posted an update on Instagram concerning their health, explaining that they had been dealing with major challenges.
"Thank you guys for the unbelievable amount of love for 'The End' and the support you've shown me since its release," she wrote. "I realize everyone is catching up with news I've held in for a very long time, and I wasn't sure how much I wanted to share. You've all been so kind so I want to share a bit more."
They added, "In 2022, I was first diagnosed with Lupus SLE and then a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Both of which are currently being managed or in remission; and both of which I will likely have for the duration of my life."
Last month, Halsey opened up about her hesitation about returning to the spotlight.
In a Tumblr post, she shared her feelings about fans who've been negative about her recent return to music and have made her "regret coming back."
"My own fans are hands down meaner to me than any other people on the planet. Not speaking for all of you, of course," wrote Halsey. "But it used to be just a minority that were awful to me and now it seems like a majority have only stuck around to chime in occasionally with their opinion of how much they hate me or how awful I am."
She added that it's difficult "to want to engage in a space that is completely devoid of any kindness, sympathy, patience; or to be honest human decency. Especially after years of hiding from the interactions for fear that this EXACT thing would happen."
"I don't know man. I almost lost my life," Halsey said, referring to their systemic lupus erythematosus and rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder diagnosis, reported People.