伟大的模仿者 (2024)

The Great Impersonator is the fifth studio album by American singer Halsey, released on October 25, 2024, by Columbia Records. Her first release with the label, Halsey conceived it as a confessional concept album believing it would be her last project after being diagnosed with lupus and a T cell lymphoproliferative disorder. It contains reflections about Halsey's personal struggles with life and death. It encompasses pop, folk, and subgenres of rock, with references to music from previous decades.

Halsey wrote and co-produced The Great Impersonator with several collaborators, including Alex G, Michael Uzowuru, Greg Kurstin, Tyler Johnson, and Emile Haynie. The album was initially teased with the promotional single "The End", which was followed by the singles "Lucky", "Lonely Is the Muse", "Ego", and "I Never Loved You". As part of the album's promotion, the singer impersonated musicians and public figures that inspired its songs. A deluxe edition of the album containing seven originally digitally-exclusive tracks was released on May 1, 2026.

Music critics received it positively; they praised the album's raw nature and honesty as well its eclectic sound. The Great Impersonator debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming Halsey's fifth consecutive record to chart within the top two. It also reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Scotland, and the United Kingdom.

Background and concept

I made this record in the space between life and death. And it feels like I've waited an eternity for you to have it. I'll wait a bit longer. I've waited a decade, already.

The album's release was intended to be the same day as the anniversary of Room 93 (2014), though it was moved up by two days. It was recorded from 2022 to 2024 when she was struggling with her lupus and T-cell disorder diagnoses, as well as the birth of her son Ender. Halsey stated she believed it would "be the last album [she] ever made." Various producers have been credited between the three tracks released.

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Behold the marvel of a century! Witness the uncanny ability of a woman who can become anyone, anything your heart desires. Friend, lover, foe. She transforms before your very eyes, her voice and visage a reflection of your deepest dreams and darkest fears but beware, for she is not just a master of disguise but a spirit of transformation, slipping between the cracks of reality. One moment a beloved friend, the next a shadowy nightmare. She is the queen of the uncanny, the mistress of metamorphosis. Beware of the great impersonator!"

The album focuses on exploring Halsey's authenticity and relationships and her interpretation of their resonance with various contexts. This includes exploring how her music would have sounded in different decades, from the 1970s to the 2000s. Halsey expressed that, after her diagnoses, she felt detached from her body, as if she was "impersonating" herself, thus coming up with the concept and references for the album.

Promotion and release

The album's trailer was released on August 27. A global scavenger hunt preceded the reveal of the album's primary and alternate cover arts corresponding to different decades on September 5. The album was first teased alongside the release of the promotional single, "The End" on June 4, 2024. This was followed by lead single "Lucky" on July 26, second single "Lonely Is the Muse" on August 15, and third single "Ego" on September 6. The fourth single "I Never Loved You" was released October 10. The album was released on October 25. A photo project on her social media also served as a countdown leading up the album's official release. On May 15, 2026, "Carry the Weight" became the deluxe edition's single.

Countdown

On October 7, Halsey initiated an 18-day countdown on social media for the album's release, with her releasing an Instagram image of herself "impersonating a different icon every day and teasing a snippet of the song they inspired" every day during that period. The artists and their respective inspired tracks were the following, released in this order:

Dolly Parton, "Hometown"

PJ Harvey, "Dog Years"

Kate Bush, "I Never Loved You"

Cher, "Letter to God (1974)"

David Bowie, "Darwinism"

Amy Lee of Evanescence, "Lonely Is the Muse"

Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries, "Ego"

Stevie Nicks, "Panic Attack"

Bruce Springsteen, "Letter to God (1983)"

Linda Ronstadt, "I Believe in Magic"

Britney Spears, "Lucky"

Herself as she appears on the cover of Badlands, "Hurt Feelings"

Aaliyah, "Letter to God (1998)"

Joni Mitchell, "The End"

Fiona Apple, "Arsonist"

Tori Amos, "Life of the Spider (Draft)"

Björk, "The Great Impersonator"

Marilyn Monroe, "Only Living Girl in LA"