Halsey releases new single 'The End' and reveals she is "lucky to be alive"

Published 5 June 2024

Pop superstar Halsey has returned with her first new music in a year, the single ‘The End’ and has revealed she is recovering from a serious illness.

“Long story short, I’m lucky to be alive. Short story long, I wrote an album. It begins with The End. Out now,” Halsey wrote on Instagram. While she hasn’t revealed her diagnosis, the post included links to The Lupus Research Alliance and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and in a video Halsey says “seriously…it’s like an old lady” as she rubs her legs.

‘The End’ is a stripped back, acoustic ballad, written by Halsey and co-produced by her with Alex G and Michael Uzowuru. Its lyrics tie together Halsey’s struggle with illness with finding a relationship that is good for her (“I finally found a lover / Who's better for my liver, and now I'll finally recover”). There is a vulnerability, a fear of the illness, and the need to be held and cared for, counterbalanced with the knowledge that this is not the end and she will get through this. “When I met you, I said I would never die…and I know it's not the end of the world, but could you pick me up at 8? / Cause my treatment starts today,” she sings at the end of the song.

While no further details have been released, Halsey has indicated ‘The End’ will feature on her new album, her first since 2021. Her previous four albums have all peaked in the top 3 on the Australian album charts, and her global streams have exceeded 50 billion. She has also received three Grammy nominations and written a book of poetry I Would Leave Me If I Could: A Collection of Poetry which made the The New York Times Best Sellers list. A powerful advocate for women’s right, the LGBTQ community and mental health, Halsey was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time in 2020, and with her new music and advocacy is solidifying her position as one of music’s most empowering - and powerful - artists.

‘The End’ is out now via Columbia Records/Sony Music Australia. You can buy and stream here.
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