Halsey, The End | Song Review 🎵

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Halsey pours their heart and soul into “The End,” their moving, first single released via Columbia Records.

“If you knew it was the end of the world / Could you love me like a child?” Halsey (she/they) asks in the chorus of “The End”, their first single released via Columbia after previously being signed to Capitol.  “Could you hold me in the dark? / If you knew it was the end of the world,” she continues singing, showcasing authenticity and vulnerability.  “The End” comes after trials and tribulations for the singer/songwriter, who has experienced a host of health-related issues including endometriosis, Lupus, and T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.  They share their journey on the self-penned, emotional single. Halsey produced “The End” alongside Alex G and Michael Uzowuru.

Vocally, Halsey sings marvelously. They are not a powerhouse vocalist but their tone and the personality they bring to the table make them compelling.  Here, they bring lived experiences that ‘up the ante’ on “The End.” The accompaniment, guitar (Alex G), and keys (Sir Dylan), is perfectly suited for their voice. The main attraction of “The End,” unsurprisingly, is the songwriting.  Halsey addresses their medical issues. “Every couple of years now, a doctor says I’m sick,” they sing in the first verse, adding, “Pulls out a brand-new bag of tricks, and then they lay it on me / And at first, it was my brain, then a skeleton in pain.” Heavy.  In the second verse, it is clear they have an arduous relationship with medicine: “So I ran into the clinic, and I asked to see the man / With his white coat and his stethoscope like a snake around his hand.” Biblical allusions appear throughout, with references to the snake and the Great Flood.  In the outro, they speak about their treatment for Lupus and the rare T-cell disorder.  “The End” is stunning – a song that you listen to and leaves you speechless.  Halsey put their heart and soul into this one. 

Halsey // “The End” // Columbia // 6.4.24

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Columbia; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]