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; halsey "hopeless fountain kingdom" album review

                  Throwback to Badlands, am I right? Except not really because I think this album is going to sound a whole lot different. But it is another concept album and it is Halsey, so I'm ready. I was born ready. Though I must say that I'm a little nervous Badlands was so good that this won't be able to live up to it. I desperately hope I'm wrong.

Apart from "Now or Never" and "Eyes Closed," this is another first-listen review. I find those a lot more fun to make, although my opinions do end up changing sometimes. I'll dislike a song at first and then a week later it's one of my favorites (cough "Woman" by Harry, cough). So anyway, shall we get into it then?

Here we go!

1: THE PROLOGUE – 8.5/10

I normally don't rate things like this, as I can hardly consider them full-fledged songs, you know? But I've rated this one because I know Halsey does concept albums and I know this one is an important beginning. She sets the entire scene with a passage from Romeo and Juliet to a low hum and an ancient organ before her own words kick in. I have to say that I legitimately had no clue what she was saying for the most part and had to look up the lyrics, but once I did, this part gave me chills. As a song, "The Prologue" doesn't have many original lyrics, but that stanza it has is undeniably Halsey and does the job they need to do: make me excited and prepare me for what I'm about to listen to. I'm not the biggest fan of the vocal effects, but it'll grow on me. Rather than not rate it, I'm not going to choose favorite lyrics as I literally love the entire bit of those original lyrics.

2: 100 LETTERS – 10/10

I really like the slow build with the music after "The Prologue." It's a good intro to the actual music. And speaking of that, the beat is so chill that you almost don't expect the chorus to be as catchy and boppy as it is, but listen, the chorus is basically a bop. I'm so pleasantly surprised by this. Also I feel like this will ultimately be a song many people can relate to; to an extent, even I can relate to this. Definitely into this. Favorite lyric: And now the whole thing's finished and I can't stop wishing that I never gave you anything.

3: EYES CLOSED – 9/10

Not going to lie, when this song was first released I wasn't into it. Like, I wanted to be and I tried really hard to like it, and it just wasn't happening. It took a surprisingly long time, but thankfully here I am. It's suddenly a lot more beautiful now – I think something I'm noticing with Halsey's music is that you have to give it time to hit you, and you have to be willing to pay attention to it. It's not that as a stand alone this song is super deep or anything, but in the story she's telling with this album it's an important insight to her situation and her relationship with this unnamed person (perhaps the boy in the "Now or Never" music video?). Favorite lyric: I know where to lay. I know what to say. It's all the same.

4: HEAVEN IN HIDING – 10/10

So, this track is everything, it's fine. Actually it's not fine. First of all, her vocals are so clear in this one – there are hardly any vocal effects, which I love, because you can hear her voice get all gritty during the verses and I think it makes the rising pitch and volume in the choruses so much more powerful than they'd have been with some of the effects she's been using in other tracks. But yeah, I love the lengthy chorus and all the descriptive lyrics (seriously, what a little poet – someone's taking hints from Brendon Urie). Again, another one I'm pleasantly surprised by. Favorite lyric: And when you start to feel the rush, a crimson headache, aching blush, and you surrender to the touch, you'll know.