#alternativemusi

[albumadayallyear]

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power - Halsey

January 1, 2022

☆☆ ☆ ☆ / ☆☆☆☆☆

3.75 stars

This was the first album I listened to this year. My friend, Bailey, had been begging me to give Halsey a try and I decided to take her up on that. Knowing I was a fan of Nine Inch Nails, she highly recommended Halsey’s “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” (Trent Reznor, member of Nine Inch Nails, teamed up with Halsey to form an unlikely duo). I did a little research before jumping headfirst into the album, as I knew it was a concept album and wanted to make sure I grasped the general gist of the story. From my understanding, this album details Halsey’s trouble with pregnancies and their joy and fear that accompanies the double lines. I love their description of trying to balance this idea of becoming the Mother Mary but by doing so, stifles their previous identity of Madonna, the Whore. Struggling with choosing, Halsey chooses to do the unexpected. Like Troy in High School Musical, having to choose between basketball and music for EVERY single movie, Halsey chooses both. She’s able to find a blissful balance between whore and mother and realizes it isn’t her that needs to change- but rather society.

I like the production on the album. It feels unsettling, but not so much so that I want to turn it off or sound too jarring. The eeriness adds on to this fear Halsey has whilst pregnant. Will their past misdeeds catch up to her? Will she self-destruct and take those she loves along with her?

The soft song, “Darling,” definitely stands out to me. I’m a slut for fingerpicked guitar and emotions. Going along with the sweet, lullaby that is “Darling” another stand out for me is “Ya’aburnee,” which translates (to my understanding) to “you bury me.” Halsey laments that she loves her future child and their partner so much that they cannot stand the thought of existing without them- to the extent that she has to die before they do. It’s a sweet, sorta morbid sentiment that I think most people can relate to.

I love the production on “Whispers.” I love the soft little whispers Halsey lets out and the desperation they feel trying to fill this endless void. Worrying that she cannot be a good parent because of their recklessness and and hyper-sexuality and need to be loved.

Overall, I really enjoyed this album and it’s honestly a no-skip album. I haven’t seen the film that goes along with it- but I imagine my friend will make me watch it with her when we go back to college after break.

Thank you!

[bellheadband]