The boldly titled “You Should be Sad” from artist Halsey starts out with a decidedly Country-esque vibe. A single acoustic guitar strums arpeggios, while a lap-steel haunts the background with a beautiful, reverberated tone. The vocals start off quite suddenly, with Halsey describing the details of a recently-ended relationship. She disparages the ex-lover in the song, suggesting that she was eager to leave, and glad for all the regrets that she never made.
The striking lyrics weave very well around the simple musical production. “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” Halsey croons, spewing palpable venom in a truly wonderful vocal performance. The simple structure of the song helps to keep the message truly ingrained, though it leaves one wanting for a little more substance from the tune. A steady kick drum makes up the majority of the percussion, and while the guitar is well-mixed and pleasant enough, it becomes truly grating after the 16th repetition, saved only by the aforementioned lap steel, which vibes along in the background.
Most of the production seems to concentrate on the vocals, with several vocal harmonies mingling in from time to time, giving the song a larger, stadium-like atmosphere. The ending showcases these vocals, ending with a somber choir echoing the chord structure of the song, and the song is over almost as quickly as it starts.
The production displayed on Halsey’s records truly shows an artist unwilling to sacrifice substance for simple pop refrains, leaving the listener constantly curious about what’s around the corner, and showing true mastery of genre diversity. With a great set of pipes, and some hardworking musicians, we can expect a long career for Halsey.
The boldly titled “You Should be Sad” from artist Halsey starts out with a decidedly Country-esque vibe. A single acoustic guitar strums arpeggios, while a lap-steel haunts the background with a beautiful, reverberated tone. The vocals start off quite suddenly, with Halsey describing the details of a recently-ended relationship. She disparages the ex-lover in the song, suggesting that she was eager to leave, and glad for all the regrets that she never made.
The striking lyrics weave very well around the simple musical production. “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” Halsey croons, spewing palpable venom in a truly wonderful vocal performance. The simple structure of the song helps to keep the message truly ingrained, though it leaves one wanting for a little more substance from the tune. A steady kick drum makes up the majority of the percussion, and while the guitar is well-mixed and pleasant enough, it becomes truly grating after the 16th repetition, saved only by the aforementioned lap steel, which vibes along in the background.
Most of the production seems to concentrate on the vocals, with several vocal harmonies mingling in from time to time, giving the song a larger, stadium-like atmosphere. The ending showcases these vocals, ending with a somber choir echoing the chord structure of the song, and the song is over almost as quickly as it starts.
The production displayed on Halsey’s records truly shows an artist unwilling to sacrifice substance for simple pop refrains, leaving the listener constantly curious about what’s around the corner, and showing true mastery of genre diversity. With a great set of pipes, and some hardworking musicians, we can expect a long career for Halsey.