Diandra Reviews It All

Halsey was not kidding when she said she loved Romeo and Juliet, and her new album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (HFK), might as well be a soundtrack to the Baz Luhrman film based on the literary masterpiece. The colorfully imaginative record uses Shakespeare’s ink to write an electro-infused version of this timeless tale on forbidden love. Halsey’s fascination with the hurdles of life and the twisted natures of love come to the forefront in her narrative, and mark HFK as an artistic turn.
Halsey – Now Or Never

Halsey has grown a passionate fanbase because she is sincere and open with her insecurities. Her past album, Badlands, was a synth-pop nosedive into how bare we can feel while we are looked upon by a lover or our own reflection. While HFK still caries those notes, as in “Alone”, “Bad At Love”, and “Devil In Me”, the album transfers intimacy into fantasy. Halsey has traded in diary pages for dream-boards, where she pictures herself as the Juliet she has always wanted to be, both romantically and tragically. After all, (spoiler alert!) Romeo And Juliet do not, necessarily, have a happy ending, but they inspire the eternal imaginations that believe love can conquers death. This note plays into the heart-rhythms of the record that scope genres from gospel to gothic. As seen in the radiant video, “Now Or Never”, the album holds to it neon-underground vibe. From its “Prologue”, you feel you have entered a dark world, where a pair of star-crossed lovers was the last bit of light this universe ever saw. In songs such as, “100 Letters”, “Sorry”, and “Lie” the keys twinkle as if the to press a piano summons more than just sound; it breaks through light. Moreover, these songs allow the usually straight-toned, smoky songstress to stretch her range a little bit as she adds a dramatic flare to her singing style. It is clear Halsey wants to drive that “old-world” theatricality; constructed by Shakespeare and admired across land and time.
Halsey – Strangers (Audio) ft. Lauren Jauregui

Whether she is giving in, letting go, or dancing upon her demons, angels, and Romeo, Halsey wants to emote her lyrical story, and she does so successfully. From “Eyes Closed” to “Walls Could Talk”, it does not matter the time of the song as much as the sentimental power of it. In addition having little but promptly planned features, like Lauren Jauregui in “Strangers”, helps Halsey show that only she is building the romantic world of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. Using the synth-waves of modern pop to captivate listeners and place them in her visioned love story, Halsey’s ends HFK on “Hopeless (feat. Cashmere Cat)”; a whimsically sad declaration that love can crash but its worth the ride. For More Information On Halsey And To Buy Hopeless Fountain Kingdom On June 2 Click Here.
Halsey – Eyes Closed (Stripped)