Halsey Announces New Album “The Great Impersonator” Amid Health Struggles And Fan Backlash
Halsey is back with a bold new project, revealing that their fifth studio album will be titled The Great Impersonator. The pop star, who uses she/they pronouns, dropped the news on August 27, along with a striking trailer that spans decades of music history, offering a glimpse into the confessional nature of this upcoming concept album.
In the teaser, Halsey, 29, takes fans on a journey through different eras, imagining what their career might have looked like if they had debuted in previous decades. As they try on retro outfits and hairstyles reminiscent of artists like David Bowie and Britney Spears, Halsey reflects in a voiceover, “What if I debuted in the early 2000s? The ’90s? The ’80s? The ’70s? Am I still Halsey every time? In every timeline, do I still get sick? Do I become a mom?”
This introspective theme seems to define The Great Impersonator, as Halsey explores the idea of identity across time and circumstance. The album’s title suggests a deep dive into the many personas Halsey has embodied throughout their career, both musically and personally.
But behind the creative excitement lies a more serious story. In June, just a day after releasing one of the album’s singles, The End, Halsey shared a health update on Instagram that shocked many fans. The singer revealed that they have been battling severe health issues, including Lupus SLE and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, both of which are being managed but are likely to be lifelong conditions.
“Thank you guys for the unbelievable amount of love for ‘The End’ and the support you’ve shown me since its release. 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,” Halsey wrote.
Halsey’s health challenges have also influenced their feelings about returning to the spotlight. In a candid Tumblr post last month, the MaXXXine star opened up about the difficulty of dealing with negative reactions from some fans. “My own fans are hands down meaner to me than any other people on the planet,” Halsey wrote, expressing her frustration with the increasing negativity.
“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,” they added.
The singer admitted that this harsh criticism has made it challenging to stay engaged with their audience. According to her, it is hard “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.”
Reflecting on her struggles with systemic lupus erythematosus and the rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, Halsey added, “I don’t know man. I almost lost my life.”
Despite these personal and professional challenges, Halsey remains determined to push forward with The Great Impersonator. The album, which has already produced three singles — The End, Lucky, and Lonely Is the Muse — promises to be a deeply personal exploration of the many layers that make up Halsey’s identity.
