My Thoughts On... || "Manic" by Halsey

With last week's announcement about the release of Halsey's upcoming fourth studio album, If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power, I figured now would be the best time to talk about her 2020 album, Manic, and how I feel about it almost a year and a half later.

The lead single from Manic was Without Me, initially intended to be released as a stand-alone single in 2018. Unexpectedly, Without Me became the singer's biggest song to date, topping the Billboard Hot 100 Charts and winning Halsey many awards. I thought it was a great new direction for her. Halsey had no plans to release an album at that time, but if she had released Manic in mid-2019, it would have definitely benefitted her more. However, since it was intended to be a stand-alone single, I really doubt most of the album was even finished around the time Without Me was released.

The next single released was Nightmare, which unfortunately did not end up being on the album. It seemed like it was intended to be the album's second single, because the album's title was in the music video. However, Halsey scrapped it, saying it didn't fit with the theme/sound she wanted for the album, which I disagree with. It would have fit perfectly after You should be sad, because of the concept of Nightmare.

The actual follow-up single, Graveyard, was released almost a year after the lead single, Without Me. I keep reminding myself that Without Me wasn't supposed to be on an album, but because of its success, it became Manic's lead single. Regardless, Graveyard was the perfect follow-up single, because it felt like a continuation of the story Halsey told in Without Me.

The album's roll-out was messy. By the time Manic was released, she had already put out three or four other songs from the album, which I think was an awful decision. She never really gave her listeners enough time to digest her songs, because as soon as she released one song, another one was on the way.

Manic was released on January 17, 2020, and based on the songs she released, it seemed as if it was going to be her best album. When I finished listening, I was confused. I didn't expect a cohesive record, as it's called Manic, but I was left underwhelmed. Maybe, my expectations were too high after listening to Graveyard, as it was one of my favorite songs of 2019, or maybe I just didn't understand it. At that point, I was ready to crown hopeless fountain kingdom as her best album, but after a year and a half with Manic, it finally clicked. Manic is her best album.

I should mention that I didn't think Manic was bad at all, but I just needed time to digest. Maybe my opinions changed after experiencing the events of 2020 or maybe I just grew older and began understanding the album more than on my initial listen. Now, I can further appreciate her lyricism, the situations talked about in the album and artistic vision for Manic. I also appreciate her for writing about hard topics, such as her miscarriage, and for being honest about the toxic relationship she was in at the time she wrote Manic.

I hope for her upcoming album, the songs will be in the same realm of Nightmare and 3am, stylistically. With a title like If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power, I wouldn't be surprised if it does. I look forward to listening and reviewing her upcoming album. One thing I can say about Manic is that anyone can listen to it and leave loving at least one song. I am confident about that.

Manic was a brave step to take for an artist who primarily writes pop songs, but it definitely paid off. It pleased many music critics, who were previously very skeptical of her work, and brought in new listeners. Manic is an artistic statement and it came at the right point in her career. If you haven't listened yet, this is your sign to do so.

Rating: 7.5/10

Favorite songs: 3am, Graveyard, Ashley, Finally // Beautiful Stranger, Dominic's Interlude (feat. Dominic Fike), Without Me, clementine, killing boys, More, Forever... (is a long time).

Least favorite songs: You should be sad, I HATE EVERYBODY

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