‘The Great Impersonator’ Can’t Copy Ingenuity

Released Oct. 25, Halsey’s fifth studio album “The Great Impersonator” encapsulates the spirit of the various artists who shaped their musical career, but falls short of offering anything new.

Since their 2015 debut “Badlands,” the Grammy-nominated alternative pop singer has been recognized for their introspective themes of mental health and identity — which “The Great Impersonator” brings in droves.

Written while facing numerous health concerns, “The Great Impersonator” is arguably Halsey’s most vulnerable project to date, exploring the complexities of fame and legacy after death. 

In the three weeks leading up to release, Halsey shared the inspiration behind each track by dressing as the respective artist on their X page. 

The album begins with “Only Living Girl in LA,” inspired by 1950s actress and model Marilyn Monroe, though her influence is hard to notice throughout the six-minute track.

The song does its job introducing the album’s exploration of life and death — a theme influenced by Halsey’s 2022 lupus diagnosis, according to CNN — though not much else. 

“I told my mother I would die by twenty-seven / And in a way I sort of did,” Halsey sings.

Released Sept. 6, “Ego” is an early-2000s-esque pop-rock single inspired by the late Dolores O’Riodrdan, lead singer of Irish rock band The Cranberries. 

While O’Riordan’s solo career leaned further into alternative rock, Halsey’s attempt sounds closer to an artist in a Disney Channel contract — with an infectious hook but unevolved verses.

“Dog Years” seamlessly exudes PJ Harvey’s punk-blues style. Discordant guitars blend with despondent lyrics describing wanting to be put down like a dog. 

“You know a mercy kill is what I seek / I didn’t ask to live, but dying’s up to me,” Halsey sings.

Influenced by rock icon Stevie Nicks, “Panic Attack” opens with smooth and hypnotic guitars, built on a steady bass line reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”

Inspired by singer Joni Mitchell, “The End” captures the distinct arrangements Mitchell’s folk music style is known for. Though Halsey’s vocal performance complements the hushed track, their lyricism is repetitive and uninspired in its religious parallels.

“Maybe we could build an ark / We could sail on broken driftwood through the sopping wet terrain / And count the building and the bodies getting swallowed by the rain,” Halsey sings.

“Darwinism” is a drab piano piece with warbled static interweaved between soft guitars and synths.

Although influenced by psychedelic rock idol David Bowie, the instruments evoke a sound closer to Radiohead’s 1997 album “OK Computer.”

Released Aug. 15, “Lonely is the Muse” channels the whispery vocals, dismal lyrics and heavy guitars of gothic rock band Evanescence.

The track carves out its own identity, but never progresses into the metal territory of Evanescence.

“And I’ve mined a couple diamonds from the stories in my head / But I’m reduced to just a body here in someone else’s bed,” Halsey sings. 

Released July 26, “Lucky” incorporates Britney Spears 2000 song of the same name.

The unequaled flair made famous by Spears — the “Princess of Pop” — is absent in the song. Rather, “Lucky” feels like a rehash of “Ego” without the snappy hooks of early 2000s pop.

The album’s title track closes out the 18-song record.

An amalgamation of the previous songs, “The Great Impersonator” blends orchestral strings with occasional heavy rock guitars, all set on a simple piano melody. 

“Does a story die with its narrator? / Surely it’s forgotten soon or later / Hope they spell my name right in the paper / In here lies the great impersonator,” Halsey sings.

When Halsey steps out of their comfort zone to explore new genres, the album feels fresh and innovative. However, many of the pop-influenced tracks come across as stale and uninspired, adding little to Halsey’s predominantly pop catalog.

“The Great Impersonator” is available on all major streaming platforms.