Halsey's "Hopeless Fountain Kingdom"
This review was written as a writing assignment on the weekend of September 15th through September 17th. The songs mentioned in this review may have some mature concepts in them, so proceed with caution. I hope my readers (if I have any yet) enjoy this album review.
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Recent Album and Her Journey Up To It
Ashley Frangipane, A.K.A. Halsey, is a 22-year-old pop/indie/alternative artist. Hopeless Fountain Kingdom is Halsey’s second album which was released on June 2nd, 2017. The first single off the album called Now or Never - released April 4th, 2017 - was released about two months prior to the album’s release, giving her fans new music that had been long awaited. This album arose to the #1 spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts.
Halsey began her musical journey by uploading covers on Tumblr and YouTube, eventually uploading her popular parody of Taylor Swift’s song I Knew You Were Trouble. After Frangipane went through trying to college then dropping out, getting kicked out of her home, she eventually began living with friends. One night when she went to a party, she met a producer who wanted to collaborate on a song together; this concluded in a song called Ghost being created, released on her SoundCloud profile, which earned her critical attentions from listeners and multiple record deal offers. She ended up choosing a label called Astralwerks for the sake of them giving her more creative freedom than the other labels that had contacted her.
After her record deal she eventually released an EP called Room 93 on October 27th, 2014 which she continuously worked on while touring with a band called The Kooks. This EP included five songs called Is There Somewhere, Ghost, Hurricane, Empty Gold, and Trouble. Almost a year later on August 28th, 2015 she released her debut LP called Badlands. The album debuted at the #2 spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She released four singles from this album which all were certified gold: Ghost, New Americana, Colors and Castle. Because of the success of her single from Room 93, Ghost was included on the album. New Americana got her into the spotlight, the song highlighting the new generation and how we differ from past generations in our diversity. Her music from her first album discusses topics from a range of being controlled, having anxiety, missing someone, and multiple realities and truths that we experience.
Her music has been experienced as not being appropriate for radio; I believe the reason behind this is because she talks about very serious topics in a blunt and honest way, which most people would be thankful for. Halsey is an artist who isn’t afraid to be open and honest even with the conversation needing to be had is a difficult one.
Hopeless Fountain Kingdom
Halsey molded this album after Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet - specifically Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation - which she fell in love with when watching the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Just before beginning to write this album, she had gone through a rough break-up which left her to try and find herself again after forgetting who she was. To cope she began writing music again, crafting each song and placing them in a specific order to tell a story when they would be put together on the album.
The first track on the album is called The Prologue, and we listen as Halsey recites the opening monologue from Romeo and Juliet. You first hear a series of low voices, and an organ-like instrument. After she has concluded the monologue, her voice belts in, multiple harmonies playing all at once, sounding distorted; this track sounds almost haunting in a way, by the end. The closing lyrics are the following:
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country;
Grass is green and it’s always sunny;
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey;
I’m findin’ it hard to leave
(Repeat)
The second track on the album is called 100 Letters. The beginning instrumental is a series of synthetic percussion which plays throughout the rest of the song. Every now and again you’ll hear an electric guitar being plucked in the background. The song is about how she almost gave her entire being up to a man who only wanted her for sex and other things. The first verse goes :
How can Midas put his hands on me again?
He said, “one day I’d realize why I don’t have any friends”
I find myself alone at night,
Unless I’m havin’ sex.
But he can make me golden if I just showed some respect.
This first verse shows how manipulative her lover was to her, putting her down until he’d get what he wanted. Making her feel like she doesn’t “have any friends,” would probably get her to stay with him since he’s all she has. By the last three lines, I’d interpret this as that he leaves her alone the majority of the time until she gives him what he wants; this is the way he wants her to show him respect so he bribes her by saying he’ll “make [her] golden.” She calls him Midas, this symbolizing relating to the Greek mythological tale of Midas and the Golden Touch.
The pre-chorus presents her standing up for herself after being treated so terribly for so long :
But I don’t let him touch me anymore,
I said, “I’m not something to butter up and taste when you get bored.
Cause I have spent too many nights on dirty bathroom floors,
To find some peace and quiet right behind a wooden door.
In this stanza she is acknowledging his treatment of her, saying that she is more than an object to be used when he wished to. The last two lines leave us some things to think over: was she drinking away her pain from her lover’s behavior? Was the bathroom the place she went to see her reflection break in the mirror, leaving her in emotional sorrow on the floor?
The chorus begins slowly, repeating these two lines :
He said, “Please don’t go away.”
I said, “It’s too late.”
When she tries to leave, he begs her not to and she obviously has had enough with him. It then goes into the second half of the chorus :
And now I can’t stop thinkin’,
No I can’t stop thinkin’.
That I almost gave you everything.
(Repeat)
When she leaves, she realizes how close she came to giving in and just settling for him; she almost gave all of her self to the wrong person. In the second verse, we see that she is completely letting him go, getting rid of any trace of him :
You wrote 100 letters just for me,
And I find them in the closet in the pockets of my jeans,
Now I’m constantly reminded of the time I was 19,
Every single ones forgotten in a laundromat machine.
We find that he wrote her these letters from the beginning of their relationship, I’d assume since she was in a long on and off relationship, and she’s now 22 so it’s safe to assume they are from the start. This was when they were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Because of the reminders of him, she gets rid of these letters by probably “accidentally” putting them through a washer.
The third track on the album is called Eyes Closed, which talks about her trying to move on. She’s in a new relationship, but she can’t help but see her old lover in everything she does with and without her new love. This song is haunting in the way she sings it, her voice very soft in the beginning before getting increasingly intense throughout the rest of the song. The chorus tells the gist of what the song is about :
Now if I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you;
But he'll never stay, they never do.
Now if I keep my eyes closed he feels just like you;
But you've been replaced,
I'm face to face with someone new.
The chorus talks about how she really just wants her old lover back, she ends up picturing her new man as him. She doesn’t believe he’ll stay around very long, but still tries to move on even if it won’t be permanent. The first verse talks about how she knows how relationships go well enough that she’s currently just drifting along with it :
I, I know where to lay; I know what to say; It's all the same.
And I, I know how to play; I know this game; It's all the same.
Then in the second verse she tells her old lover that she would’ve done everything for him, but he still either treated her wrong or left her. She also pleads with him not knowing how to move on :
Would've gave it all for you, cared for you, So tell me where I went wrong.
Would've gave it all for you, cared for you. (My lover, my liar)
Would've trade it all for you, there for you, So tell me how to move on.
Would've trade it all for you, cared for you. (My lover, my liar)
The only other portion of the song aside from the verses and two chorus’ is the bridge before the final repetition when she talks about always thinking about her old lover, but she never really stopped even after they ended :
They don't realize that I'm thinking about you;
It's nothing new, it's nothing new.
The fourth track on the album is called Alone which is incredibly unique from the first three tracks; the beginning sounds like an old 70’s song, old soulful vocals coming through with a jazzy piano riff coming in with trumpets and what sounds like trombones. In the song Halsey’s more vulnerable side shows through the lyrics even with the the jazzy background, mixed with elements of modern synth and pop music. In the song she talks about guy wanting to start a relationship but she keeps turning him down because she doesn’t want to hurt anyone and doesn’t see herself as a good person. She warns the guy she’s talking to in the song that if he were to meet her he’ll regret it soon after. She mentions having a lot of people wanting to get with her but she still feels alone. The first verse goes :
Said he tried to phone me, But I never have time;
He said that I never listen, But I don't even try.
I got a new place in Cali But I'm gone every night.
So I fill it with strangers so they keep 'em alive.
She said she told you she knows me, But the face isn't right.
She asked if I recognized her and I told her I might.
Then comes the pre-chorus and chorus :
See, everywhere I go I got a million different people tryna’ kick it,
But I’m still alone in my mind.
I know you’re dying to meet me, But I can just tell you this;
Baby as soon as you meet me, You’ll wish that you never did.
In the second verse she talks about her faults when she goes drinking with friends, goes to parties, and when she leaves to go out without saying goodbye to her lover. She probably says all these things to get the guy she singing to to save himself the trouble of trying to be with her :
I stayed a night out in Paris where they don't know my name,
And I got into some trouble with that drink in my veins;
I got a problem with parties 'Cause it's loud in my brain,
And I can never say sorry 'Cause I won't take the blame.
I know I always go missing And you're lying awake,
But if you ask why I'm distant,
Oh, I'm runnin' away.
Then the bridge is her acknowledging that he really wants to be with her and break down the walls she’s built, but she still wants to save him from the pain.
The fifth track on the album is called Now Or Never, which is the single that led up to the release of the album. The music video for the song is just the beginning to the storyline of the album, which is greatly inspired by Halsey’s love life and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet. The song talks about Halsey going into it but with the ultimatum that the other person needs to be all in or leave. Because this song is more widely known than the rest of the album, I won’t go into analyzing every single lyric. This song is a little more hip hop than the rest of the album, but it begins slowly.
The sixth track of the album is probably the most vulnerable of the album, the only music behind the lyrics being piano; this song is called Sorry. How the lyrics are worded, it seems that Halsey and another person had something good going for them before Halsey left without an explanation. The first verse talks about her ignoring his calls, and realizing how rude she’s been. She talks about not meaning to lead him/her on, but she still remembers the little things :
I’ve missed your calls for months it seems; Don’t realize how mean I can be,
‘Cause I can sometimes treat the people that I love like jewelry.
‘Cause I can change my mind each day; I didn’t mean to try you on,
But I still know your birthday, and your mother’s favorite song.
The chorus comes in with her apologizing for everything she’s done and put this person through; she also explains her flaws :
So I’m sorry to my unknown lover, I’m sorry that I can’t believe,
That anybody ever really starts to fall in love with me.
I’m sorry to my unknown lover, I’m sorry I could be so blind.
I didn’t mean to leave you and all the things we had behind.
Oh, oh, oh.
The second verse explains how she can be and continues to apologize for her ways :
I run away when things are good, And never really understood,
The way you laid your eyes on me In ways that no one ever could.
And so it seems I broke your heart, My ignorance has struck again;
I failed to see it from the start And tore you open 'til the end.
In the bridge of the song she reassuringly says that someone will love this person, but it isn’t her. These lyrics also repeat at the closing of the song.
The seventh track is called Good Mourning which acts as a middle boundary between the first six songs of the album, and as an introduction to the next six songs. It begins with a child speaking about a place he’s never been :
They told me once, "there's a place where love conquers all";
A city with the streets full of milk and honey.
I haven't found it yet, but I'm still searching.
All I know is a hopeless place that flows with the blood of my kin.
Perhaps hopeless isn't a place, Nothing but a state of mind.
They told me once, "don't trust the moon, she's always changing";
The shores bend and break for her, And she begs to be loved;
But nothing here is as it seems.
The opening monologue talks about a place called “hopeless” - I assume this refers to the album name, hopeless fountain kingdom. But in the second half of the monologue, the child speaking says that maybe this place is actual a state of mind. The monologue takes a dark turn after this realization before Halsey and background vocals come in saying that “The Sun is coming up, oh why, oh why, oh why?” This leads straight into the eighth track called Lie. This track opens with a piano chord being played over and over again. Halsey’s voice comes in with a rap element in how she sings the lyrics. The song talks about her and a lover are having a rough patch, but she doesn’t want the relationship to end yet, so she wants them to just play it off until they can’t anymore, by pleading with him to lie :
Breakfast is cold, as cold as our bed; I'm watching you choke down the words that you said
I watch you devour, mistake me for bread; Well boy, is you fed? Or are you misled?
I gave you the messiest head, You give me the messiest head; Oh, you turnin' red,
'Cause I'm tryna' give the impression that I get the message you wish I was dead.
The pre-chorus talks about her seeing him panicking and as she goes into the chorus begins to plead with him to lie to her, saying he still loves her even if he doesn’t. All the chorus is is Halsey repeating the word lie over and over again :
See you 'bouta break a sweat; I, I, I.
I won't let us finish yet; I, I, I.
Please don't take this as a threat; I, I, I.
All I'm sayin' is if you don't love me no more then lie, lie
Lie, Lie.
The second verse is sung by a rapper named Quavo, and the lyrics he sing talk about keeping on going and trying to keep the relationship going, but they’re okay with lying if it’s mandatory. The song ends with this verse and the chorus of ‘lie’s closing it :
I heard what you said (what she say); You talk about your head game (oh).
I know that it's fire, flame (fire); Your mouth make a hurricane (splash).
You notice that we in love (love), That's something we cannot change (no),
It's the plans we should arrange (plans); Treat her right and she won't complain (yeah).
Bring back the title (bring back); She talk like the iPhone (yeah).
Got no one to lie to (no), There's no need to lie no more (eh).
Bring me a trial (bring), Every move's vital;
What you gon' die for, When everything you told, lies, alright.
The ninth track is called Walls Could Talk, which talks about having a relationship at the beginning of her career. If the “walls could talk,” the public would have all of their assumptions about how her relationship was going downhill or going uphill again. The beginning talks about how their relationship began when Halsey was 17 and how crazy her lover made her, then it flashes forward to two years later when they’re having fights :
Been about three days and I'm comin' back; I'm about four minutes from a heart attack
And I think you make me a maniac, But you don't know.
Two years and we in between, But we both been here since we seventeen
Here we go, fist fight in a limousine, But they don't know.
As always, a pre-chorus follows the verses and goes into the chorus. The pre-chorus talks about how they are trying to make things work, then the chorus narrates what people in public would think if they knew all about Halsey’s love life :
And we both hope there's something, But we bo-both keep fronting, And it's a closed discussion; And I'm thinking, "Damn, if these walls could talk.” Well, they'd be like. (Oh-oh-oh) "Shit is crazy right?" (Oh-oh-oh) I ain't your baby no more.
The second verse talks about how they have broken up and obviously can’t be without each other when her lover comes to her apartment and picks the lock to get in : Been about two weeks since you went away; I’m about halfway through a Cabernet. And I go, I’m wastin’ a Saturday, sittin’ at home. Told my new roommate not to let you in; But you’re so damn good with a bobby pin. Now you gon’ play me like a violin, Hittin’ these notes.
The tenth track on the album is called Bad At Love which she writes about believing that she’s bad at love because of her flaws. She mentions that jealousy tends to get the best of her, and she tends to make a lot of mistakes but sometimes the same ones over and over again. Unlike the previous songs on the album, this song contains her talking about having a relationship with a guy then later one with a girl. In a couple interviews she has talked about being bisexual and people judging her because they’ve never seen her with another woman. The first verse talks about having two relationships: one she was with in her home state of Michigan, than one from high school and saying that at the time they believed it’d last longer, before it goes downhill. The second verse discusses her having a girl from Cali but she got addicted to drugs so they separated. Then she was with a girl from London who she was deeply in love with her, but it ended up not working out; she also mentions that they never told anyone about their relationship, which explains why some people in society judge her for identifying as bisexual but having never been seen with a girl :
First Verse Got a boy back home in Michigan, and it tastes like Jack when I’m kissin’ him. So I told him that I never really liked his friends, now he’s gone and he’s callin’ me a bitch again. There’s a guy that lives in a garden state, and he told me that we make it till we graduate. So I told him that the music would be worth the wait, but he wants me in the kitchen with a dinner plate.
Second Verse Got a girl with California eyes, and I thought that she could really be the one this time. But I never got the chance to make her mine, because she fell in love with thin little white lines. London girl with an attitude, we never told no one but we look so cute. Both got way better things to do, but I always think about it when I’m ridin’ through.
Then we have the pre-chorus and the chorus of the song then go over her flaws when in a relationship, and how she’s bad at love and her brief explanation for it :
Pre-Chorus I believe (4x) that we’re meant to be; Jealousy (4x) get the best of me. Look: I don’t mean to frustrate but I, Always make the mistakes but I, Always make the mistakes cause.
Chorus I’m bad at love; but you can’t blame me for tryin’, You know I’d be lyin’ sayin’ you’re the one, That could finally fix me, lookin’ at my history. I’m bad at love.
The eleventh track on the album is called Strangers, which is coincidentally about Halsey being in a relationship with another woman; I say ‘coincidentally’ since the second verse of the last track on the album talked about her in relationships with girls, which was the first time it was mentioned. This song talks about the downfall of a relationship from them being distant emotionally, which leads to their breaking up and being strangers to each other afterward. This song includes the second voice of Lauren Jauregui who offers the second perspective of Halsey’s lover. The first verse and second verse have the same feel of the different ways they are being distant from each other :
First Verse She doesn’t kiss me on the mouth anymore; ‘Cause it’s more intimate, than she thinks we should get. She doesn’t look me in the eyes anymore; Too scared of what she’ll see, somebody holdin’ me.
Second Verse She doesn’t call me on the phone anymore; She’s never listenin’; she says it’s innocent. She doesn’t let me have control anymore; I must’ve crossed a line, I must’ve lost my mind.
After the verses obviously comes the pre-chorus and choruses. These stanzas talk about how they want each other but can’t:
Pre-Chorus When I wake up all alone, and I’m thinkin’ of your skin, I remember, I remember what you told me. Chorus Said that we’re not lovers, we’re just strangers. With the same damn hunger; to be touched, to be loved, to feel anything at all. (2x)
Lastly, there’s the bridge which comes before the last chorus, which talks about what they miss about each other:
Bridge I miss the mornings with you laying in my bed. I miss the memories playing in my head. I miss the thought of a forever, you and me. But all you’re missing is my body.
The twelfth song on this album is one I relate to on a very deep level, called Devil In Me. This song is a little slower and subtle than the rest of the album, while it lyrically is a song which sounds like a cry for help. The song talks about not wanting to bring out the worst in yourself; being too afraid to get close to people for the fear of hurting them because of the put downs being put on you by others :
Verse 1 You said I would’ve hit the ceiling, you said I, You said I should eat my feelings, head held high. Pre-Chorus I won’t take anyone down if I crawl tonight, But I still let everyone down when I change in size. And I went tumblin’ down tryna reach your high, But I scream too loud if I speak my mind. Chorus (2x) I don’t wanna wake it up (3x), The devil in me.
Verse 2 You said I’m too much to handle, you said I. Shine too bright, I burnt the candle, flew too high. Bridge (2x) Gotta wake up (5x), come back to life.
Now finally, the last and final song on the album is called Hopeless, which isn’t too surprising that there’s a song that’s almost directly named after the album itself. The song talks about how she wants a relationship but it’s seemingly hopeless because her lover acts like he/she doesn’t want it. This song is different from the rest in the sense that it doesn’t really have a chorus. Lyrically, it’s an incredibly vulnerable song, not as much as Sorry or Devil In Me but still vulnerable :
Verse 1 Boy you make it look so easy, promise that I’m gonna call you back in five. “Sorry baby girl but I can’t tonight.” Oh. Boy you make it look so simple, oh. Yeah, I’ve known that girl for like my whole life. Back in my hotel, and I’m alone inside, oh. Pre-Chorus ‘Cause you know the truth hurts, but secrets kill. Can’t help thinkin’ that I love it still; Still here, there must be something real. ‘Cause you know the good die young, but so did this, And so it must be better than I think it is; Gimme those eyes, it’s easy to forgive. Verse 2 You and all your friends all hate me, oh; thinkin’ that you’re better when I’m not around. Hear me on the radio and turn it down, oh. I can’t help the way you made me. Hope that she believin’ in the truth you found, Thinkin’ that you want us ‘cause I can’t find out, oh. Bridge (3x) I hope, hopeless. Changes over time.
Though this album isn’t one of my favorites of all time, it is still one that is beautifully put together in more ways than one. I would definitely recommend this album to anyone who enjoys modern music, as well as music with a deep meaning behind it. I hope those that listen to this album enjoy it just as much, or even more than I do.
- Savvy
