Filters have never been the style of Halsey, who has laid her soul bare before the whole world through pointedly honest art. Even for this pushing-the-boundaries singer, though, her newest creative revelations have come with an added dose of real-world tumult.
On “Lucky,” her critically acclaimed single, Halsey weaves a confessional tale of medical struggle and motherhood. Lyrics touching on sickness, early parenthood, and years concealing the pain are ringing true with listeners. However, the praise has been balanced with unexpected blows as some of that very same throng of self-proclaimed diehard fans lashed out at the star with palpable venom. On a raw social media journal, Halsey opened up about what it is costing her.
““My own fans are hands down meaner to me than any other people on the planet,” they posted. Where interactions used to grant brief moments of happiness now only biting comments greet the multi-platinum artist. Worst of all, it comes from those who have been here the longest. Halsey ponders what changed to twist support into such scathing scorn. She opens up about lingering health woes that really shook her to the core—it seems like thoughts of only recovery gave her a way to reconnect with the fans once more. But stepping back into the fray, this redefined “community” leaves more confusion than comfort.
Halsey wonders if coming clean about personal battles was a mistake, wishing she maybe just hide away as that’s much easier than dealing with such fierceness coming from within their own ranks. In another post, amidst the fray, Halsey gave a small health update: off for testing with reality in mind.No matter the renown, no matter the sales, every star remains human. With wounds deeper, one laying the fame aside to bare all does so facing criticism from those who once upheld. In this light, for every note of Halsey’s unvarnished art, there will be discordant doubts from alleged admirers. Only time will ever tell which move proves wisest: vulnerability or vacancy.