It feels like just yesterday we were all scrolling through those cryptic Instagram posts where Halsey was literally transforming into different musical icons. One day she’s a dead ringer for David Bowie, the next she’s channeling her inner Britney Spears or Stevie Nicks. It was brilliant marketing for The Great Impersonator, which dropped back in late 2024. But then, things got quiet. A little too quiet for an artist who usually lives and breathes their craft.
Honestly, the answer to the question why can’t Halsey make an album right now isn't about a lack of creativity. It isn't writer's block. It’s a messy, frustrating cocktail of corporate red tape, shifting industry expectations, and a body that has been through the absolute ringer.
The Label Lockdown: "I'm Not Allowed"
In a 2025 interview with Zane Lowe that basically sent the fandom into a tailspin, Halsey didn't mince words. She straight-up said, “I can’t make an album right now. I’m not allowed to.” That’s a heavy sentence for a multi-platinum artist to utter.
The reality is that music is a business. A cold, hard one.
When Halsey moved from Capitol to Columbia Records, there were massive expectations. The Great Impersonator was an experimental masterpiece—it was raw, it was about her literal mortality, and it was a "confessional concept album" that she honestly thought might be her last. Commercially, it debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and moved about 100,000 units in its first week. For most artists, that’s a "pop the champagne" moment. For a major label looking for the next "Without Me" or Manic-level numbers? It was apparently viewed as an underperformance.
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Basically, Columbia wants "Manic numbers," and Halsey is currently making art that doesn't necessarily fit that radio-friendly, TikTok-viral mold. It's the classic "art vs. commerce" war. If the last project didn't hit the specific ROI (return on investment) the suits expected, they pull the plug on funding the next one. They want hits. Halsey wants to tell her truth.
The Health Factor: Fighting for Every Note
We also have to talk about what’s happening behind the scenes with her health. You’ve probably seen the headlines, but the sheer volume of what she’s managing is staggering. In 2022, she was diagnosed with Lupus (SLE) and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.
That’s on top of:
- Endometriosis (which she’s been vocal about for a decade)
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
When your immune system is literally attacking your own tissues, the grueling cycle of "write-record-tour-repeat" becomes a life-threatening gamble. She recorded The Great Impersonator while she was in and out of hospitals, feeling like she was "impersonating" herself because she was so detached from a body that was failing her. Even if the label gave her a green light tomorrow, her physical capacity to maintain the pace required for a major rollout is a huge question mark. She’s in remission now, but that’s a fragile state that requires constant management.
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The "Pop Star" Identity Crisis
There’s a shift in how Halsey sees herself, too. She told Zane Lowe that she doesn't really consider herself a "pop star" in the traditional sense anymore. She’s watching the industry compare her to artists who are essentially in a different lane.
Think about it. If you’re being measured against the Taylor Swifts of the world in terms of sheer data, but you’re making an 18-track experimental record about death and motherhood, you’re always going to "lose" that comparison on paper. Halsey mentioned that she feels she’s at the bottom of a category she doesn’t belong in, rather than at the top of the one she actually inhabits.
What This Means for the Future
So, what does this mean for us? Are we never getting another Halsey record?
Probably not. Halsey is a fighter. Remember when she fought her previous label just to release "So Good" because they wanted a viral TikTok moment first? She’s used to the "wrestling" match. But right now, the focus has shifted to her "Back to Badlands" anniversary shows and potentially recouping the perceived losses from her last era.
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If you're wondering what you can do as a fan or a casual listener to support her during this "blocked" period, here’s the reality of the 2026 music landscape:
- Stream the "deep cuts": Labels look at consistent engagement, not just the Top 40 hits. Diving back into The Great Impersonator or the darker tracks on If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power shows there is a sustained market for her non-radio work.
- Buy physical media: In an era where streaming pays fractions of a cent, buying a vinyl or a CD is a loud, data-driven message to a label that an artist has a "buying" audience, not just a "scrolling" one.
- Show up for the live dates: Halsey noted that her recent tours have been some of the highest-selling of her career. Ticket sales are the one metric labels can't ignore.
The industry is in a weird spot. It’s harder than ever for established artists to pivot into "prestige" territory without being punished by the bottom line. But Halsey’s career has always been defined by her refusal to stay in one box. Whether she stays with a major label or eventually makes a move to a more flexible indie setup, the music will eventually find its way out. It just might not happen on the corporate timeline we’re used to.
The best thing to do is keep the conversation going around her existing work. It’s through that sustained interest that she gains the leverage needed to walk back into a studio and say, "I'm ready."
For now, we wait and let her heal.
Actionable Insight: To support Halsey's return to the studio, prioritize purchasing direct-to-consumer merchandise or physical copies of her recent work, as these metrics provide the strongest leverage for artists negotiating creative freedom with major record labels. Stay tuned to her official social channels for updates on her "Back to Badlands" anniversary events, which are currently her primary focus for 2025 and 2026.