The list of co-writers on Halsey’s latest album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, reads like a who’s who compilation in pop music.
The 22-year-old singer got everyone from The Weeknd to Australian pop queen Sia and Adele’s Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin to work with her on the album.
Hopeless Fountain Kingdom opens with Halsey introducing listeners to the album’s theme about forbidden love through her reading of Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet.
The Weeknd’s trademark dark and moody sound is evident in Eyes Closed. It’s an atmospheric electro number where Halsey sings painfully about embarking on a new relationship while still thinking about her former lover (“Now if I keep my eyes closed, he looks just like you…”). If you like The Weeknd then this track will be right up your alley.
Now Or Never is a slow-burning R&B tune that should be interesting to Rihanna fans. Then there’s the introspective Devil In Me which has Sia’s magic touch all over it.
Unfortunately, it all makes me wonder what Halsey sounds like on her own. Hopeless Fountain Kingdom seems devoid of a track that is essentially Halsey, as almost every number is a generic, uninspiring copy of an existing hit song.
It’s a shame, as Halsey has been one of the more interesting pop stars to emerge of late with her frank take on challenges like identity and mental disorders.
Halsey has a new album out. Photo: Universal Music
Halsey
Hopeless Fountain Kingdom
Universal Music
