Halsey, Clementine | Track Review 🎵

Alt-pop standout Halsey brings enigma, poetry, and allure on “clementine,” the third advance single from her third studio album, Manic. 

Grammy-nominated alternative/pop artist Halsey has only gained in popularity since releasing Badlands in 2015.  Her sophomore album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, was kind of a big deal.  Naturally, her third studio album, Manic (January 17, 2020), is also expected to ‘do big things.’ After releasing singles “Without Me” and “Graveyard”, Ashley Frangipane drops the project’s third single, “clementine.”

“Clementine” arrives as the second song on Manic, notably, released on Halsey’s birthday, September 29.  Bucking the trend of shorter tracks, “Clementine” runs nearly four minutes, exceeding the length of both “Graveyard” and “Without Me.” Halsey co-wrote the single with John Cunningham, who also serves as the producer.  Notable features of the backdrop include timely robust drums and hypnotic piano lines.  Although “clementine” could be described as enigmatic, it’s actually set in a major key.  The inspiration for “clementine?” That would be Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, via an interview with Halsey that appeared in Rolling Stone:

“I basically built my whole personality off Clementine. It was really exciting for me to see a woman on film who was proud and liberated in her own weirdness and in her own non-polite, non-political, non-conformative, inconvenient self.”

Lyrically, “Clementine” is quite alluring. “Because in my world, I’m constantly havin’ a breakthrough / Or a breakdown, or a blackout,” she sings on the first verse.  Part of “clementine” comes from a poem Halsey wrote, specifically an excerpt from the bridge:

“My face is full of spiderwebs, all tender yellow-blue
And still with one eye open, well, all I see is you.”

The vocal performance that complements this poetry oscillates between moments of restraint, and more passionate, biting moments.  A perfect example is the intensity Halsey exhibits on the strong-willed chorus, where she sings, “I don’t need anyone / I just need everyone and then some.”

Final Thoughts 

All in all, “clementine” is an enjoyable, well-rounded record from Halsey.  The production is enigmatic, hypnotic, and minimalist for the most part.  Vocally, Frangipane delivers a solid performance, with her most expressive moments arriving on the chorus, as aforementioned.  The biggest draw are the poetic lyrics.  A winner overall.

Halsey • Manic • Capitol • Release: 1.17.20

Photo Credit: Capitol