Pop Artist, Halsey, ventured into a new direction releasing her alternative Pop album, "If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power" on August 21, 2021. With this album, "People Disappear Here" was only released as a Target Exclusive. Starting January, the track was released on all digital streaming services to be a part of the full album.
THE SOUND
With no introduction, we know that the production is outstanding as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, from Nine Inch Nails, not only produced but supported the direction of the album and all singles. Brought with downtempo drums, we get a true goth sound that is rich in distorted strings and grunge synths. Mixed with the haunting echoes of Halsey’s backing vocals, we are brought into this eery distorted world that is cohesive with her vision. Almost in a smoke show, we are enveloped in wallow shouts of despair begging for help and salvation. Closing the track, we have the most jarring jazz piano solo to keep us all on our seats. On the intersect Magazine scale of 1-10 for sound, "People Disappear Here" receives a 9/10.
THE LYRICS
Halsey’s lyricism continues to shine and begins to develop her own ability to dive deeper into the harsh realities that we tend to shove in the back of our minds. Here, she can craft the idea of loneliness and in fact the thought that even with friends there are times where we are faced with our own loneliness and if any of them are truly there to help in the greatest darkness. From the pre-chorus,
"And I, tried to let her be someone/ Hoping when the morning comes/ She's not another hit and run but everybody knows"
We are left with the thought that sometimes our closest friends are happy for our successes but behind closed doors are the ones waiting for our fall and criticizing every little idea. With Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross producing the album, we can see the influence in the writing process as the bridge references the Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt” from the album The Downward Spiral
"I hurt myself today/ To see if i still feel/ I focus on the pain/ The only thing that's real"
We see the effect of the emotional neglect that surrounds people we cannot fully trust. It would be better to feel physical pain than one that is intangible and inescapable. We are left to see that in our times of great loneliness, we shell ourselves into our own dark cave awaiting someone to care and help us. On the Intersect Magazine Scale of 1-10 for Lyrics, "People Disappear Here" receives an 8.2/10.
THE ART BEHIND THE SINGLE
Originally a B-side that was a Target exclusive, Halsey later released it as a part of the digital version for If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. This track was hinted at with the NFT art Piece she created on Nifty Gateway. As she shares, “The characters are all inspired by figures that occurred in a series of sleep paralysis nightmares I had at home during the quarantine. After seven years of bed surfing hotel rooms around the world, adjusting to my own pitch-black cave in California had a little bit of a learning curve.” We are left to witness that this single speaks on the loneliness we physically feel and mentally as we are trapped with our own thoughts and our own thoughts will be our utter demise. In regard to the art behind the single, on the Intersect Magazine Scale of 1-10, "People Disappear Here" receives a 9.4/10.
Overall, the blend of dark and haunting mixed with the disturbing and vulnerable lyricism, on the Intersect Magazine Scale of 1-10, "People Disappear Here" receives a 9/10. To listen to "People Disappear Here" on all streaming platforms, click here.
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