Don’t worry! With all the fire that Halsey brings, Izzie Stevens won’t be sprinting down a hospital hallway just because you’ve played ‘I Never Loved You’ three times in a row. Sure, Halsey mentioned in a PopCrush interview that the song fits perfectly into the Grey’s Anatomy universe. But it’s not quite that dramatic. That being said, the song does have its moments. The explosive intro sounds like a casino wheel spinning, hinting that fate has a way of making its presence known. And that theme flows through all the music we’ve heard so far.
Much like a witchy parlor shop, the single cover art also enchants us. Resembling its track number, a Magic 8 ball is scribbled out to reveal a 5. The occult object sits in the shadow figure’s hands as they cosmically croon, “They couldn’t save her,” savoring it twice as if for good fortune. Their eyes aren’t to be seen, a patchwork of the song’s title. Yet, it still tells us that they’re the windows to one’s soul, even here, with the lyrics letting us in. As for a familiar spiraling question mark? It’s reminiscent of ‘The End,’ lingering in the waiting room.
In a “losing our absolute minds” collective moment, our fruit-loving Brit, Mr. ‘Watermelon Sugar,’ has blended a banging smoothie with Tyler Johnson in the past. Tyler’s a co-producer on this song alongside Michael Uzowuru, who has helped Halsey with other tracks. Both of them have additional writing credits with Halsey. So it’s safe to say that the ward will hear the echoes of this lost love for some time.
Incision One: Assessing The Damage.
Halsey sent a text with a breakdown of the song, like sharing some tragic news in the family group chat.
A woman lies ill-fated in an Emergency Room. She’s holding on with all her might, in hopes her lover will show to say goodbye. He arrives too late and defensive. Who was driving the car that hit her?
Halsey in a text message
Fans then quickly dove into every car crash reference in Halsey’s discography, eventually landing on the ’11 Minutes’ music video featuring YUNGBLUD and Travis Barker. What’s catching our attention? Of course, no matter what accident brings them there, it’s the hospital setting. So we’re pretending like we’re in the operating room. Some distraught lyrics feel like wounds. Then there are others, more disarming ones, perfect for stitching our emotions together so we’re not crying every two seconds over how Halsey can always sum up our feelings about some old situationship.
Incision Two: Melodies Heal Wounds.
The heartbreaking lyric—“So now you can take the money, you can get on a plane / To a beautiful island, build a house in my name”—hits every time the chorus comes around. Depending on which chapter of Halsey’s emotional tracklist we’re flipping through, this line can mean a few things. In the Y2K pool of ‘Lucky,’ we’re tossing breadcrumbs to the forensic department instead of the doctors. The line about them not having “time to spend my money” upon getting sick is prime evidence. It’s a bittersweet permission slip for the love interest to bail without a guilty conscience, handing them a one-way ticket to an all-expense paid trip to paradise.
But hold onto a record-scratching noise because we’re in Halsey territory. The ruthless ‘Lonely is the Muse’ lurks here. It’s where their name doesn’t grace the tour posters, nor do their algorithm-driven bots spit out lyrics. Just as the late-arriving hospital visitor didn’t bother to show up during the relationship, this is another way to take them for granted. It’s through writing a whole song about them but leaving their name off the credits list.
Now, the perfect stitch for this emotional tapestry comes in the line, “I never loved you / I never loved you / I never loved you in vain.” Sure, it’s dripping with pent-up resentment, but it reveals a softer truth. The love may not have been reciprocated equally, and their story certainly didn’t end the way it should’ve, but she still loved them.
Incision Three: The Closing Stitch.
The Greatest Impersonator isn’t just Halsey’s fifth studio album. It’s like a Halloween scrapbook packed with nostalgia, from iconic photoshoot recreations from musical gods’ past to Halsey always flirting with death through the eras. As we’ve red-string boarded, ‘I Never Loved You’ reveals a literal hole in their heart. Pinning a redhead Halsey onto our walls so we can act out a spunky dance cheer from their version of ‘Lucky,’ which twists Britney Spears’s into their own, polarises a camera-phoned meltdown. There’s so much spooky allure but also a gut-wrenching punch of angst.
Because at its core, this album embodies what Halsey shared during their “Songs That Saved Me” segment on BBC Radio 1: we’re going to “eat the CD for breakfast, chew it, swallow it, and then get on stage.” While they might have been thinking about Robert Smith from The Cure, we’ll turn our bedrooms into stages for our impromptu performances when the album drops on October 25th.
And, of course, our mentions will act as a countdown in the meantime. So, give us a tweet or comment on our Instagram, Facebook, or X about which recreation you’ve loved most so far!
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