“If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” Proves That Halsey Should Be One Of This Generation’s Most Talked About Artists

Posted On August 27, 2021

Samantha Colleran, August 2021

Ever since Halsey announced If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, I’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival. Produced by Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the new album centers around Halsey’s feelings surrounding motherhood (Halsey and their current boyfriend Alev Aydin recently welcomed their first child, Ender, in July). With features including Dave Grohl drumming on “honey” and former Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham on “Darling”, I had a feeling this album would be nothing short of incredible. You know the drill, I’ll be going track by track and giving my initial thoughts on each song. IICHLIWP was also kept super hush hush, there were no lead singles prior to the album release, so you’re getting raw, real time reactions from me. Let’s get into it!

1. “The Tradition”

I love the piano start, it feels like it’ll build up to something bigger. I missed Halsey’s voice SO much. I don’t have much to say right now, I’m just soaking everything in. The lyrics are so descriptive and feel almost autobiographical in terms of being an artist in Hollywood. “They said boys were boys but they were wrong”, the way Halsey holds that last note… I’m obsessed. This was definitely a solid way to start the album. I thought it would build into something more by the end of the song, but it didn’t, and it leaves an element of mystery. 

2. “Bells In Santa Fe”

Okay, we roll right into the new song. The lyric “All of this is temporary” was the only snippet we got before the album dropped. “It’s not a happy ending” feels like foreshadowing, almost like this album won’t end happily. IICHLIWP feels more cohesive instrumentally than previous albums. My brain and thoughts are moving too fast for my fingers to keep up, but this album is already so lyrically genius. “Jesus needed a three day weekend/ To sort out all of his bullshit”, my jaw dropped, definitely one of the most creative lyrics I’ve ever heard. I’m sure I’ll repeat myself a million times throughout this review, but Halsey is such a strong songwriter. The backing vocals as Halsey sings “All of this is temporary” are absolutely heavenly. And alright we’re on the next song already…

3. “Easier Than Lying”

I’m immediately hooked on the sound of this one. The soft vocals compared to the heavy instrumentals, stunning. This is the rock-y punk-y sounding Halsey I’ve been dying to hear since “Nightmare”, and I absolutely love the direction this album is taking already. The drums are pure perfection. They totally drive the song. The chorus is incredibly fast paced and so high energy, I’m dancing in my chair right now. “Losing you is easier than lying to myself that you love me”. This buildup!!!! I can totally see this song rocking so hard live. I need a Halsey concert now where I can headbang to this song. 

4. “Lilith”

Halsey isn’t really singing on this one, it’s more of a sing talk? Not fully rap, but not fully singing either. Whatever the right word for it is, I love it. The steady beat, the coolness of Halsey’s voice as each line comes through my headphones and fills my ears, it’s such an easy listen. This song lyrically feels like other songs in her discography, referencing being ‘too mean’ or talking about ‘getting caught up in the moment’. 

5. “Girl Is A Gun”

“I’m not your daydream/ I won’t have your baby” was the first lyric I picked up on. This song definitely feels NIN in terms of production. The pre-chorus lyric “I keep fallin’ in love, but this measurin’ cup/ Is overflowin’ with the same damn problems” also stood out to me. Halsey has always been a lyric heavy artist, but this album is just proving how good the lyrics she comes up with actually are. I love how Halsey’s voice is in the higher register for a lot of this song, it almost contradicts comparing herself to a gun. This song definitely is one of the more interesting in her discography, so far it’s a top three contender. 

6. “You asked for this”

“I’m still somebody’s daughter”. That lyric alone is such a statement. Halsey has been in the spotlight for a while, and has been the victim of a lot of scrutiny and backlash, but at the end of the day celebrities are still people, and that simple lyric is a reminder of the fact. It was Halsey’s dream to be a famous singer, “You wished upon a fallin’ star/ And then left behind the avant-garde”, but sometimes it can be hard, “You asked for this”’ is the response of people telling Halsey that she shouldn’t be upset because this is the life that she asked for. The chorus sounds Gwen Stefani-ish. I love the guitars on this track. The vocals at the end are too good. 

7. “Darling”

The Lindsey Buckingham feature I’d been waiting for, and it did not disappoint. You can tell immediately it’s Lindsey on guitar, and his guitar picking compliments Halsey’s voice so well. This song was written for Halsey’s baby, Ender. “Foolish men have tried/ But only you have shown me how to love bein’ alive”, my heart is absolutely melting. You can just tell through the lyrics how long Halsey has longed to be a mom, and finally seeing the dream come true is so wonderful. This song is so precious, I adore it so much.

8. “1121”

More piano. Not what I was expecting, but I’m honestly really liking all the piano tracks. The song feels heavy. Halfway through listening Halsey went on Instagram live and explained that the title is the day she found out about being pregnant, which makes the first verse make more sense in my mind. “And if truth be told, it’s scary/ ‘Cause my shoulders are heavy already/ And, yeah, I know/ The parts of myself that I’ve hated/ And I can’t tell which ones are mine and which I created” seems to be Halsey’s fears about being pregnant and figuring out how to navigate the feelings. “But I won’t die for love/ But ever since I met you/ You could have my heart/ And I would break it for you”. The call and response of the bridge is incredibly haunting, and the synth buildup makes it feel like it’s pulling at your chest. It’s suspenseful.

9. “honey” 

Dave!!!! Absolutely loving this track so far. This is exactly the music Halsey needs to make. “She was sweet like honey/ But all I can taste is the blood in my mouth”. Halsey told curious fans on Twitter that this song is about a ‘wild girl’, and this girl certainly does sound wild. She’s complacent, Halsey’s impatient. She’s stings like she means it and she’s mean, but she’s Halsey’s. The drum track. I mean, it’s Dave Grohl so I obviously expected the greatest of performances. Halsey’s vocals are on point, it’s a drum heavy track, and it’s one of the greatest things Halsey has ever written and put on an album. In the words of Halsey, if I could tell you anything about this track: “It’s fuckin’ fantastic”. So far, this is my favorite. I broke my album listen through rule to listen to this song one more time. Oops. 

10. “Whispers”

This song, like some of the ones before it, is incredibly haunting. “Sabotage the things you love the most/ Camouflage so you can feed the lie that you’re composed”. “You do not want this” is whispered throughout the song, it serves almost as Halsey’s subconscious. “Isn’t it lonely?” Halsey asks, whether it’s a question meant to be answered, I’m not sure of. This song feels like a deeper look into her subconscious thoughts, the entire third verse seems to touch on this, “I’ve got a monster inside me that eats personality types/ She’s constantly changin’ her mind on the daily/ Think that she hates me, I’m feelin’ it lately”. It’s a subject that should sound messy when writing about it, but Halsey makes it sound effortless, almost like it’s not taboo to sing about mental health. 

11. “I am not a woman, I’m a god”

“I am not a woman, I’m a god/ I am not a martyr, I’m a problem/ I am not a legend, I’m a fraud”. There’s also the repetition of wanting to be a “better human”, with a new name, in a new place. Another lyrical topic that comes up is wanting to be alone, which somewhat seems to stem from the previous track. Perfect placement, I love it. Does the fraud lyric refer to Halsey taking on a ‘new’ name to become a star? The vocals on the bridge are stellar, and throughout listening it just blows my mind that people actually don’t listen to Halsey. 

12. “The Lighthouse”

THE GRITTY GUITAR!!!!!!! I love it, I love it, I love it!! The lyrics are dark and match the tone of the guitars exceptionally. This feels like a continuation of “Nightmare” (“So I showed him all my teeth and then I laughed out loud”), and I’m becoming more obsessed with this track with each passing second. In this song, Halsey is almost like a siren, “And I’ll lure you like a landslide/ And I’ll show you lovely things”, “’Cause I never wanted savin’, I just wanted to be found”. I truly love the repetition of “And the waves come crashing down” with the steady bassline and guitar buildup. 

13. “Ya’aburnee”

Lyrically, this may be my favorite. Immediately from the first verse, the lyrics are absolutely gorgeous. It’s about a lifelong love, and the way Halsey sings about love is beautiful. “I get undertones of sadness/ When I think about the moments/ That I never got to spend with you”, I’m still thinking of these first three lines. The instrumentals are so simple and allow the heartfelt lyrics to shine through in the way they were meant to. “You will bury me before I bury you”. This was the perfect way to end the album. Unlike what I predicted, the album does round out and ends on a softer note than it started. 

Sam’s Song Selection

I know this will most likely change with each listen. However, just upon first impressions, my top three consists of…   

1. “honey”: Sure, I’m biased because two of my favorite people ever collaborated, but there’s simply no denying that this song is perfect. The instrumentals are full of so much energy, the lyrics keep you on your toes, and the vocals are simply too amazing to explain. 

2. “Ya’aburnee”: The lyrics are pretty, I love hearing Halsey sing about love since a lot of the songs on previous albums that are about love are often the darker sides of relationships. This one is tender, soft, you can feel the emotion in every lyric and I’m so in love with it. 

3. “Easier Than Lying”: Like I said, Halsey needs more rock/punk sounding songs, and this song delivered the exact sound I wanted Halsey to follow. All I know is I need this album on CD immediately so I can blast this with the windows down. It’s one of those songs. 

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power truly exceeded my expectations, it went so far beyond the surface level topic of navigating the feelings that come with motherhood and allowed us a truly beautiful peek into the inner workings of Halsey’s complicated mind. I just know this album will grow to be timeless, and I’m so excited to see the levels of success it brings Halsey’s way. Let me know your thoughts on the album in the comments, and tell me your top three tracks! Congratulations to Halsey and the entire team who made this release possible!