On Oct. 10, singer Halsey released the fifth single to their upcoming album “The Great Impersonator,” coming out Friday, Oct. 25. Within this “confessional” conceptual project, the musician dedicates each track to a decade from the 1970s to the 2010s, stylizing it as if they debuted as an artist during each respective time.
Counting down to the album, Halsey has been teasing each song from the album on social media while recreating iconic images from the famous musician who inspired each respective track. Day three of their countdown came with a recreation of a picture of popular singer-songwriter Kate Bush from the 1980s, accompanied by a snippet of the track inspired by her, “I Never Loved You.”
Additionally, in the caption of this post, Halsey announced this song’s early release. A ballad with honest songwriting, they continue the rollout for this album with meaningful storytelling.
“I Never Loved You” primarily features the singer’s raw voice complimented with melancholy piano chords and occasional solemn synths. This Kate Bush-inspired track focuses on the comparison between the ending of a relationship and open-heart surgery. Halsey describes and opens up about a complicated romance, which went into further disarray due to their health struggles.
The singer had been diagnosed with lupus and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder back in 2022, along with other health issues. The verses in this track center around these medical difficulties, the song beginning with, “They’re cutting’ her up / on the operating’ table, but it wasn’t enough / …they couldn’t save her.” This verse continues on as Halsey sings about the surgeon diagnosing her with a “hole in her heart.”
Halsey sings, “…it was there from the start / trying to love you through an open wound.” Comparing open-heart surgery to a former lover, the musician confesses the amount of effort they put into this relationship and the strain it had on them. In the chorus, the lyrics create a juxtaposition with the title, declaring “I never loved you in vain.” These additional words reveal the genuine love Halsey had for this partner.
This emotional track amplifies the overarching theme of Halsey’s upcoming album: vulnerability. Cohesive with the other pre-released songs, it successfully transports the listeners to the headspace the singer describes, creating vivid illustrations in their minds. Upon the single’s release, Halsey sent a message to fans: “A woman lies ill-fated in an Emergency Room. She’s holding on with all her might, in hopes her lover will show to say goodbye. He arrives, too late and defensive. Who was driving the car that hit her?”
Providing the audience with the opportunity to relate to the vague “woman,” the musician furthers a connection with fans. All can listen to this new, authentic song — as well as the previous candid singles — on repeat in anticipation of “The Great Impersonator.”
5/5 stars
rross1@ramapo.edu
Photo courtesy of @iamhalsey, Instagram
