As promised, Halsey has shared two new songs from her upcoming third album, Manic, and they could not be more different. Don’t say she didn’t warn ya.
The first, “Finally // beautiful stranger,” is a country-tinged, guitar-led love song that starts off sounding a bit like Lady Gaga’s “You and I.” It arrived alongside a video that stars Halsey performing onstage in two very opposite settings. In one, she’s singing in a dark, empty bar, and in the other, she’s all done up and bedazzled in a brightly lit room, putting on what could be seen as a forced smile. As with most of Halsey’s videos, you can bet there’s a hidden meaning behind the juxtaposition. Press play below to interpret it for yourself.
Halsey’s other new release, “Suga’s Interlude,” features BTS member Suga, and is two minutes of musically minimalist introspection. Halsey seems torn between two worlds as she sings, “I wonder what’s in store / If I don’t love it anymore / Stuck between the having it all and giving it up.” Her collaboration with the South Korean rapper comes after she guested on the BTS bop “Boy With Luv” earlier this year.
Halsey first announced the two new songs on Wednesday, warning fans that they are “two very different songs. Two very dreamy stories.” The 25-year-old also generously unveiled the full Manic tracklist, which spans 16 songs, including the previously released “Without Me,” “Graveyard,” and “Clementine.” Along with Suga, the album appears to include features from singer Dominic Fike (“Dominic’s Interlude”) and living legend Alanis Morissette (“Alanis’ Interlude”).
Manic, the follow-up to 2017’s hopeless fountain kingdom, arrives on January 17, 2020. See the tracklist in the post below, and check out Halsey’s two new songs up top.
