“I’m not allowed to make an album right now”: Halsey on ‘The Great Impersonator’ underperforming

Halsey recently spoke up in a tearful appeal to her fellow musicians and fans: she doesn't feel like she is in the position to create another full-length record at least, not with the expectations and pressures that are currently placed upon her. In an interview with Zane Lowe, the artist detailed that while The Great Impersonator was experiencing glimpses of success, it did not meet the high bar set by her last album Manic.

That balance and the backlash that comes from it has left her feeling squeezed between what's being asked vs. what can be done. The revelation had an echo in the music world, both because Halsey was being truthful and because it speaks to an issue many artists grapple with: being judged not just on their artistry, but on numbers as well. Her candid declaration has triggered a wave of discussion about creativity, profitability, and where the line is.

Why Halsey's "I Can't Make An Album Right Now" Went Viral

Halsey's remark went viral because she codified a tension which many artists and listeners intuitively know: how to juggle authentic artistry and commercial pressures. She explained The Great Impersonator

"didn't sell the way they expected it to"

although it sold around 93,000–100,000 copies in its opening week in the U.S. and charted at number two on the Billboard 200 upon release. Her tour supporting the record is also her biggest-grossing ever evidence that her live shows continue to get great backing.

But comparisons being drawn to Manic, released in 2020, are unfair, according to Halsey. Manic had a much larger debut, selling 239,000 units its first week in the U.S. Given that, she feels her label or the industry expect her to re-create Manic-level success every time, which she says is not sustainable. In her words,

“I’m not a pop star anymore”

Trending

suggesting that her artistic direction has shifted, or that the space she occupies is no longer defined by chart-topping metrics alone. The post resonated because many fans see it as a reminder that success is not always about numbers sometimes risk, growth, health, and transformation are just as valuable. The fact that she doesn't pretend to want to or be able to do the same numbers every time has made people challenge what we expect of artists when their sound or image changes.

Halsey is not dropping the mic period she's drawing a line. The Great Impersonator didn't outsell Manic, but according to most standards critical reception, concept, and live show appeal it did. Worth having the bigger conversation her words have sparked: how we measure success, and how realistic to expect each new record to revisit a previous high. Ultimately, this moment captures an artist defying. She's insisting: my happiness and my music cannot be taken hostage by comparisons. And whether or not she puts out another album sometime in the near future, she's made one thing clear that she can't do it on impossible expectations.

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