Alright, let’s discuss Halsey. She just opened up in a manner that pop stars rarely do, period, and I’m genuinely still taking it in. Halsey broke down literally in her latest Zane Lowe interview, declaring that she is unable to create another album at the moment, not that she is unwilling to attempt to do so, yet the industry is literally taking her hostage by having illogical expectations. And like. same, girl.
Her latest project, The Great Impersonator, was going to be the big follow-up to Manic, her monster period. And yes, Impersonator moved 93,000 to 100,000 units in its first week and opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. To give it some perspective, that’s insane in 2025 when nobody is purchasing music anymore. But since it didn’t meet the Manic opening of 239,000 units in week one, her label apparently deems it a failure.
“I can’t make an album right now, I’m not allowed to,” she said to Zane, tears running down her cheek. “It should be good enough that I do it once in a while. But it’s not.”
Think of Selling 100,000 Albums in Seven Days and Still Being Told That You’re A Flop
Here’s what’s really crazy. While The Great Impersonator is picked to oblivion for sales, Halsey’s album tour is actually her all-time highest-grossing tour. The concerts sell out. The crowds come en masse. Reviewers adored the concept of the record. But none of that “matters” because it didn’t blow up like Manic.
As in, can we just stop for a minute? One hundred thousand first week album sales without a radio single, no TikTok viral single hit, zero. That is crazy. But instead of celebrating that, she’s hearing it didn’t quite perform enough. The standard by which pop success is now quantified is literally toxic.
I’m Not A Pop Star Anymore” Is The Mic Drop Moment Of Her Career
And that is where it gets sad yet somewhat legendary. Halsey literally stated, “I’m not a pop star anymore.” To me, it doesn’t translate to her giving up. It translates to her not wanting her music to be attached to some former version of her that only lives in charts and excel sheets.
That’s why her words went viral. Because every fan, every artist, and downright every person in their 20s aspiring to “make it” felt that in their bones. It’s the urge to grow and try things, yet all the people around you want to see is the repeat of your peak.
Pop Music Is Obsessed With Numbers, And It’s Making Artists Miserable
Halsey literally said aloud something that all artists have been too scared to. You can’t strike lightning in a bottle every single day. And you don’t need to.
The web went wild with commentary because she was being so open. It wasn’t a promotion; it wasn’t pretend vulnerability for likes. It was a real pop star who was like, “I’m exhausted, and the system is flawed.” It’s genuinely one of the most real interviews I’ve ever seen from her.
Halsey Isn’t Giving Up; She’s Not Going to Be Your Machine For Your Streaming Numbers
At the end of the day, Halsey is not finished with music. But she’s not going to keep churning out records in the context that’s engineered to destroy her. And that’s okay. It’s a sign that success is sometimes not something that can be had through chart-topping and first-week sales. It can sometimes be about progress, wellness, and being willing to adapt. Whether she releases another album soon or not, Halsey has been responsible for sparking a larger discussion and possibly even revolutionizing the fact that we allow artists to breathe. And that’s every bit as important as that next No. 1 single.
