The sad imposition made to Halsey for its label

The singer Halsey It is in a battle against the expectations of the music industry after revealing that its label has blocked the production of new materials. The reason? The commercial performance of The Great Impersonatorhis latest studio work, did not correspond to the projections of the Columbia Recordsdespite critical recognition and respectable positions on musical charts.

The controversy exposes a growing dilemma in contemporary music: consolidated artists face pressure to repeat past commercial hits, even when they choose to explore riskier creative territories. Speaking to Zane Lowe from the Apple Music 1, Halsey He detailed how the change of artistic direction directly impacts his creative freedom.

The album in question represents a significant conceptual turn in the artist’s career. Different from their previous work focused on mainstream, The Great Impersonator It plunges into experimental territories, addressing deep topics such as mortality and personal transformation. This artistic choice, although praised by expert critics, resulted in sales that the label considers insufficient.

Halsey Contextualized the numbers, explaining that the 100,000 copies sold in the first week represent a solid result for the type of project developed. The artist pointed out that these numbers put the album among the best first weeks performances for female artists in 2024, as well as boosting their most commercially successful tour.

The pressure exerted by the label reflects a problematic pattern in the contemporary music industry. Halsey denounced to be constantly measured by the standards of Manichis 2020 album that reached 239,000 initial sales, completely ignoring the difference in artistic proposal between the projects.

The situation is aggravated by the inadequate comparisons with artists such as Taylor Swiftwhose business model and market strategy operate on completely different scales. Halsey He questioned the logic of these comparisons, especially considering that he developed an authorial project without traditional promotional support, including limited radio execution.

The artist also addressed the transformation of her position on the music scene. She recognized that she was no longer the “pop star” of previous years, but argued that this change represents a conscious choice of artistic exploitation. The problem arises when the industry insists on applying inappropriate metrics to evaluate works that operate in completely different categories.

Halsey revealed that your fan base demonstrates consistent loyalty, with numbers that have been stable since Badlandsyour debut album. This stability should be valued as an indicator of artistic sustainability, especially in a fragmented market where few artists can maintain relevance for a decade.

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• Halsey

• Zane Lowe