Halsey is not holding back. The singer took aim at music critic Anthony Fantano on June 21 after he suggested that discussion surrounding his review of The Great Impersonator generated more interest than the album itself.
The exchange quickly went viral across X, reigniting debate around one of the most controversial album reviews of 2024.
The latest chapter began when Fantano appeared to reference the album’s legacy with a post reading, “if they’re more into the review than the album.” The comment was widely interpreted as a jab at The Great Impersonator, Halsey’s ambitious 2024 project that explored identity, mortality, illness, and artistic influence through a series of genre-spanning personas.
Halsey responded directly. “I’m certain my least memorable song will be remembered more fondly and for more time than anything you ever do with your life will be. Everything you say is more ‘whiny’ and ‘edgy’ than I was at any point on that album. But at least I had the excuse of going through chemo.”
The final sentence immediately became the focal point of the conversation. During the creation and rollout of The Great Impersonator, Halsey was publicly navigating cancer treatment and several chronic health conditions, experiences that heavily informed the album’s themes and songwriting.
Released in late 2024, The Great Impersonator was one of Halsey’s most personal and conceptually ambitious projects. The record examined fears surrounding illness, parenthood, mortality, and legacy while drawing inspiration from a wide range of artists and musical eras.
Fantano’s review proved divisive from the moment it was published. Awarding the album a “light to decent 1,” he criticized the project for what he described as excessive “main character syndrome” and argued that many of its stylistic tributes felt more like imitations than transformations.
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