Longtime dabbler in nu-adjacent soundscapes Halsey has released their brand new single ‘Lonely Is The Muse’, the third release from their as-yet untitled upcoming fifth studio album. Last we wrote of Halsey, I championed them as part of our Nu-Pop feature, extolling the virtues of their Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-produced third album ‘If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power’.
This new track sees Halsey dipping back into the same brand of elevated mall-goth groove to lament the life of an artist’s muse, opening up about some incredibly personal experiences in the process. The moody piece obviously takes more than a few cues from the often-misidentified nu metal titans Deftones (no, they are not shoegaze, no matter how much you yell at us), but could also slot in comfortably alongside early Flyleaf with its blend of meditative guitar-driven verses, chugging choruses and despair-laden vocals.
Lyrics like “So whеre do I go in the process whеn I'm just an apparatus?” conjure an image of the narrator reduced to simply an idea of a person, someone who exists only to inspire someone else’s artwork rather than as complete person capable of creating their own masterpieces.
Despite wearing its inspirations heavily on its sleeve, this track leaves me hopeful that they might continue to develop this sound further, as their previous album proved this sound is where their pen and voice really shine.
You can listen for yourself here:
