POP

The Epilogue
By Dean Lewis

The Epilogue is Australian pop artist Dean Lewis’ third studio album. It was written between his overseas touring schedule as a conclusion to this artistic chapter of his career, with the artist explaining he tried to “rekindle the simplicity of why things worked”.

It opens on a sombre note with folk-inspired track, Empire, as the singer slowly laments his loneliness before the chorus kicks in with an ironic cacophony of backing vocals. Moving through The Epilogue’s singles: All I Ever Wanted, Rest, Memories and Trust Me Mate, Lewis carefully crafts soft melodies as he reflects on relationships and the impressions they’ve left on him. The album speeds up on I Still Do and Cold, as he ups the intensity lyrically and experiments vocally with higher ranges.

Ending with Clélia’s Song and The Last Bit of Us, the album takes on a more conclusive tone as the music winds down to a soft strum in the background, letting the singer’s voice shine through.

The Epilogue speaks to the emotions that accompany the ending of an era but simultaneously hints at the start of new possibilities for the artist.

POP

The Great Impersonator
By Halsey

Halsey’s fourth album, The Great Impersonator, is a pop offering that pulls influence from various genres and musical eras. The singer reflects on her conflict with identity and illness as she travels across time with listeners and grapples themes like fate and loneliness. This is evident on I Believe in Magic, a touching ballad where she reflects on her relationships.

The singer has done a number of photoshoots across different decades, mimicking icons like Dolly Parton, Cher and Amy Lee to build up her image as ‘The Great Impersonator’. Letter to God has three variations on the album set in different eras of music (1974, 1983 and 1998), each has Halsey questioning whether she was always destined to fall ill.

Lonely is the Muse takes inspiration from early 2000s’ gothic rock in the soft diatribe at the start, which leads up to the booming chorus. The album concludes with the title track The Great Impersonator, which encapsulates the singer’s fight to find herself between her two alter egos, Ashley and Halsey. Overall, this release is raw and emotional at its core, evoking a range of emotions on each track.