Haley
Hopeless Fountain Kingdom
Astralwerks Records
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Halsey’s 2015 debut ‘Badlands’ made her a cult popstar. ‘Closer’ made her a household name.

‘Closer’ has a trace of blandness Halsey stampedes past when working on her own. ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’ gets by on a universal quality, but there’s a personal touch you don’t find on everyday pop full-lengths. It’s a break-up album, placed in the context of a Romeo And Juliet-inspired world. The record even begins with the prologue to the Shakespearean tragedy, while the video for ‘Now Or Never’ is like her own take on Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 1996 film.

The only time a guest threatens to overshadow her is on ‘Eyes Closed,’ co-written by The Weeknd. But it’s far from the best song on the record, proving Halsey’s fast moving from cult hero to global superstar.