Inspired by the work of nineteen different artists, The Great Impersonator delivers a unique and varied sound while reflecting on Halsey’s struggles. Considering aspects of her life from childhood experiences to bouts of illness, this album, more than any other, serves intense and hard-hitting lyrics.
Having unveiled her struggles with illness before its release, many tracks delve into the extensive complications that many people don’t see. During songs like “The End,” Halsey reflects on the struggles of being told unwanted news, and how it impacts her and the people around her. Through its powerful writing, The Great Impersonator showcases the complex emotions that come with the aftermath of a diagnosis.
With its convoluted subject matter, The Great Impersonator improves with every listen. Though the album is intriguing from the beginning, it truly shines when people are able to examine the lyrics more closely. As fans familiarize themselves with the track list, deeper meanings start to pop out which enhance their overall experience of the album.
Influenced by many sources, several songs on the album stand out from each other. However, every song ties into each other by drawing inspiration from a different artist, but The Great Impersonator still feels distinctly like Halsey’s work. This is largely due to the common themes that carry across much of the album and the raw honesty that comes out with each new lyric.
Though many of the tracks take a different approach to the common theme, when put together they paint a comprehensive picture that would not have been possible alone. This is thanks to The Great Impersonator’s concept of drawing inspiration from different singers and creating a song with Halsey’s twist on their style. With much hype already stirred up surrounding the album’s release, this added layer of complexity only adds to the mystique.
Aside from the main connection between much of the work, there is another underlying thread that ties everything neatly together. This comes in the form of one song that is actually three, titled “Letter to God (1974),” “Letter to God (1983),” and “Letter to God (1998)” respectively. These three tracks are spread out across the album, but if paired together it is clear that they are all part of one story, as is the album as a whole.
While some parts of this story initially stand out, either because of an upbeat track or a particular lyric, if listeners take the time to sit with some of its calmer moments, they will grow to appreciate the entire album.
Beyond its fascinating concept and sometimes wildly varying songs, The Great Impersonator is an album full of emotion at its core. With its nineteen beautifully unique songs, Halsey effectively captures fans’ hearts through heart-wrenching lyrics full of underlying messages.
