Manic is subtitled, “An album made by Ashley for Halsey” and it is exactly that, a story told by story and sung by Halsey.

Halsey tweeted that the album should be listened “front to back.”  With that in mind, it appears to set up like a four-act play, complete with interludes. But unlike traditional interludes which are instrumental, these are vocal collaborations with guest stars; rapper Dominic Fike, BTS member Suga, and Alanis Morissette each contribute. Halsey describes them as “People who really represent different parts of my psyche and different parts of my personality in so many different ways.”

Act I: Despair

The opening scene finds Ashley contemplating the perilous nature of fame in ‘Ashley.’ In this trap-pop synth track Halsey sings the painfully candid lyrics: “Took my heart and sold it out to a vision that I wrote myself/And I don’t wanna be somebody in America, just fighting the hysteria/Only wanna die someday.” The track ends with a sampled Kate Winslet dialogue from Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind: “I’m just a fucked up girl who’s lookin’ for my own piece of mind. Don’t assign me yours.”

Halsey’s powerful yet delicate voice dominates the spacey piano ballad ‘clementine’, which speaks to Ashley’s feelings about the loneliness of depression with this fitting refrain: “I don’t need anyone, I don’t need anyone/I just need everyone and then some.” The melancholic minor chords create the perfect atmosphere for her vulnerable lyrics.

The optimistic pop tempo of ‘Graveyard’ is deceiving but the lyrics quickly tell the story Ashley’s excessive desperation – a downward spiral brought on by love’s dark side. Of all the tracks on Manic, this is most reminiscent of hopeless fountain kingdom.

While ‘You Should Be So Sad’ could easily be a Kacey Musgraves’ hit, Halsey elected to use this fuck-off ode to ex G-Eazy as a soul cleanser. Throwing shade with, “I’m so glad I never ever had a baby with you/’Cause you can’t love nothing unless there’s something in it for you,” certainly set the record straight. It’s finger-picking style and lap steel guitar make this track feel country but Halseyfied.

Act 1 ends with ‘Forever … (Is a Long Time),’ the tempo slows, and Ashley’s unsettled story of relationship sabotage where the melody drives the track. Midway through a sustained morose piano passage nearly ceases and then the lyrics return, distorted and overdriven with the message: “Talk to your man, tell him he’s got bad news comin.”

In the first of three interludes, ‘Dominic’s Interlude’ revisits the lyrics from ‘Forever…’ with Dominic Fike singing “Talk to your man, tell him he’s got bad news comin” in an energizing tone, complete with joyful strings and layered harmonies à la ELO’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky.’ This hints to a dramatic change.

Act II: Neurotic

In Act 2, Ashley’s emotions evolve from despair to neurotic and speak to her struggles with self-hatred. The search for love or just approval continues in ‘I HATE EVERYBODY’ but she suspects it will never be real. The chorus tells story: “If I could make you love me/Maybe you could make me love me/And If I can’t make you love me/Then I’ll just hate everybody”

Insecurities run rampant on the banger ‘3am.’ After a night out Ashley is searching for love from anyone who will answer her call: “I need it digital ’cause, baby, when it’s physical, I end up alone.” As a resolve of sorts, the track ends with a recorded phone call from John Mayer: “Your.. your best song is the song that’s currently on the radio. How many people can say that? That their best song is the one that’s currently about to be a massive hit. It’s already a hit, it’s just gonna get more massive. How many people can say it? Not very many. Congratulations!”

Love denied, once again in “Without Me” where Ashley gives it all only to be cheated on. Halsey emphases the emotion nature of the track with her somber heartbroken vocals.

As Act 2 resolves, a glimmer of hope shines in ‘Finally // beautiful stranger.’ A strummy slow jam of reluctant romance and becoming vulnerable again. In this lyrically powerful track with country tinges, Ashley is ready to “fall” in love: “And I hope, beautiful stranger, here you are in my arms/But I think it’s finally, finally, finally, finally, finally safe for me to fall.”

In ‘Alanis’ Interlude,’ Ashley speaks to the pleasures of a bisexual relationship: “With soft skin, soft as all these/Beautiful lights and beautiful thighs/They always kept me up at night/But I can’t change my appetite.” The vocal interplay between Alanis Morrisette’s commanding mezzo and Halsey’s cool soprano dominate this track.

Act III: Independence

In Act 3 the budding Ashley seeks independence and ‘killing boys’ is just that. The track begins with a sample from the cult film Jennifer’s Body with Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried: “You’re killing people/No, I’m killing boys, boys are just placeholders, they come and they go/You’re my best friend, and I wanna help you but I won’t let you kill again/That’s a lose-lose.” This thumping revenge jam continues with Halsey sings, “And all I want in return is revenge/’Cause I don’t need you anymore.”

In the final break, ‘SUGA’s Interlude’ features BTS member Suga rapping in Korean with slower verses from Halsey in between. The lyrics are backed up by a slick K-pop groove and speak to dealing with self-hatred and ego. One of Suga’s lines translates to: “It’s always the darkest right before sunrise.” Halsey’s verses describe a battle “between the having it all and giving it up.”

Act IV: Acceptance

The final act deals with acceptance and the first track, ‘More’ finds Ashley longing for a child who has not yet arrived. Halsey sends this emotion love letter out to the universe in hopes of a response: “I want you more/Somehow, I just want you more.”

Moving past self-hate and admitting that she may be able to love herself, Ashley airs her imperfections. Set to a Latin-pop vibe, ‘Still Learning’ shows Halsey at her most vulnerable: “I got a paranoia in me/And you wouldn’t believe/Everything that I seen, no/Comin’ apart at the seams/And no one around me knows.”

The stage lights come down and a glowing Ashley is in the lone spotlight. The final track, ‘929’ starts off with Halsey insisting that she was born at 9:29 a.m. on 9/29. This is followed by a free flow of life confessions backed by a gentle guitar. A vocal cleansing of her psyche to allow healing to begin: “Lost the love of my life to an ivory powder/But then I realize that I’m no higher power/That I wasn’t in love then, and I’m still not now/And I’m so happy I figured that out.” By the end of the song, she renounces her earlier statement: “I think I have a confession to make, I feel like (So we know you don’t)/I need to say that I was really born at 9:26/It’s on my birth certificate, I’m a liar/Man, I’m a fucking liar.”

CHVRCHES and Omar Apollo (June 2 – July 5) and blackbear and PVRIS (July 12 – August 1) will serve as the tour’s opening acts.

CHVRCHES had an interesting 2019: Collaborating with Marshmello for their biggest-ever pop hit, beefing with Chris Brown and Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta, coming out with a video-game theme. And now it looks like their summer will be pretty interesting, too. Halsey’s other openers on this summer tour include the vaguely psychedelic singer-songwriter Omar Apollo, the emo-rapper Blackbear, and the electro-pop trio Pvris. Check out Halsey’s North American tour dates below.

NORTH AMERICAN INSTALLMENT OF THE MANIC WORLD TOUR. ONSALE 1/17. left brain VS right brain. Come see how it feels…https://t.co/1ZvsEcb4s3 pic.twitter.com/1mAzefsY0J

— h (@halsey) January 8, 2020

Next week, she’ll release her much-anticipated new album Manic, which feels like her most personal so far.

Check out full ticket information at Halsey’s Manic World Tour site. All tickets purchased for the North American leg of the Manic World Tour will be accompanied by a CD copy of Manic.

Tour Dates

June 2 – Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
June 4 – Portland, OR @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
June 6 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
June 7 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
June 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
June 13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
June 15 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
June 16 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
June 18 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
June 21 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
June 24 – Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
June 26 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 27 – Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 30 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
July 1 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
July 3 – Milwaukee, WI @ Milwaukee Summerfest
July 5 – Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
July 12 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
July 15 – Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium
July 18 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 19 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 22 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 24 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
July 25 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 27 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
July 30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
August 1 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre