Hopeless Fountain Kingdom - Halsey

Halsey is a name that most people will recognise nowadays. The American singer-songwriter has fast become one of the most talked about artists in the industry. Already given nods by MTV and NME for Artist On The Rise and Favourite Breakout Artist respectively, Halsey really sprung to prominence with her feature on The Chainsmokers' global hit, Closer. And here we are now, ready to review her second studio album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. Citing her influences as Panic! At The Disco, Taking Back Sunday, Kanye West, and Amy Winehouse, amongst others, this will certainly be an interesting listen. Here we go!

The wonderful ratings system is back:

1 - Shouldn't have been recorded

2 - Filler

3 - Above average filler

4 - Killer

5 - Career defining masterpiece

Track 01 - The Prologue

John - 2.5/5

Tilly - 2.5/5

Track 02 - 100 Letters

John - 3/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Track 03 - Eyes Closed

John - 3.5/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Track 04 - Heaven In Hiding

John - 3.5/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Track 05 - Alone

John - 2.5/5

Tilly - 3/5

Track 06 - Now Or Never

John - 2.5/5

Tilly - 2.5/5

Track 07 - Sorry

John - 3/5

Tilly - 3/5

Track 08 - Good Mourning

John - 3/5

Tilly - 3/5

Track 09 - Lie [Feat. Quavo]

John - 2.5/5

Tilly - 2.5/5

Track 10 - Walls Could Talk

John - 2.5/5

Tilly - 3/5

Track 11 - Bad At Love

John -3/5

Tilly - 3/5

Track 12 - Don't Play

John - 1.5/5

Tilly - 2/5

Track 13 - Strangers [Feat. Lauren Jauregui]

John - 4/5

Tilly - 3.5/5

Conclusion

John - This was a solid album, make no mistake, but it was also distinctly average in most respects. I think the best track was left until the end of the record too (the standard edition anyway), which puzzled me a little. We started off strongly - it was clear from the outset that the production was going to be very good throughout - and seemed to veer downwards from there, before quickly spiking back up with Strangers at the end. As for the prologue and interludes, they were a little pointless in my opinion. They broke the flow that Halsey created, although alternatively it was nice to have a little respite. I still think it would have been better if they hadn't been there though.

The lyrics were well-written for the most part, although there were moments here and there where you're left thinking 'what on earth?' - take 'runnin' lines like a marathon, got it all white like parmesan' for instance - and the instrumentals were clean and fresh, however after a short period of time they did start to feel very samey. Overall then? What Halsey has done here is make a decent album that thinks it's better than it actually is. In reality, it's not bad, but not astounding either.

Overall Score - 3/5

Tilly - This was a pretty solid album. It wasn't great, in fact at times it felt a little pretentious. Mostly when it came down to the interludes and prologue. They were good, but felt a bit out of place on what is essentially a glorified mainstream pop record. I'm not a massive fan of Halsey's voice, but it's definitely very easily to listen to, and lyrically she's very similar to Lana Del Rey. The swearing on Hopeless Fountain Kingdom served no purpose, and at time the lyrics did start to seem a bit like she'd just strung a few random words together. Having said that, she has a knack for creating a heartfelt song, and even more of a knack for writing catchy hooks. 100 Letters, Eyes Closed, Heaven In Hiding and Strangers were by far the best songs on Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, and I would say so far, they may potentially be some of the best pop tracks I've heard all year. 2017 hasn't been too kind to female solo artists, but maybe, just maybe Halsey will turn that around. 

Overall Score - 3/5

For Fans Of - Natalia Kills, Hayley Kiyoko and Lana Del Rey