Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (stylized in all lowercase) is the second studio album by singer and songwriter Halsey that was released on June 2, 2017, through Astralwerks.
Hopeless Fountain Kingdom is a concept album that explores with different musical genres like R&B, pop, synth-pop and electropop. The singer describes HFK as having more "radio friendly music" than any of her previous works including her 2015 album, Badlands.
The story for the album was inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with Halsey swapping out the genders for the two lovers and including both bisexuality and same sex relationships.
The main character is a bisexual female named Luna Aureum and her male love interest named Solis Angelus. Luna means moon and Solis means sun. As their romance begins to take place in, where else, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.
The Prologue
On the album's opener "The Prologue", Halsey recites the prologue from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juilet as she speaks on the intro with:
Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Then, she starts singing on the last verse with the lyrics:
I am a child of a
Money hungry, prideful country
Grass is green and it's always sunny
Hands so bloody, tastes like honey
I'm finding it hard to leave
100 Letters
100 Letters is about two lovers who are trying to work out their failing relationship. Halsey uses Greek mythology, like the legend of King Midas, on the first verse singing:
Well, King Midas put his hands on me again
He said one day I'd realize why I don't have any friends
I find myself alone at night unless I'm having sex
But he can make me golden if I just showed some respect
Then, the singer begins to stand her ground with the lyrics:
But I don't let him touch me anymore
I said, "I'm not something to butter up and taste when you get bored
Halsey makes an reference to her personal and musical identity in context to her on-and-off relationship with Norwegian producer Lido on the chorus with:
And now I can't stop thinking that I can't stop thinking
That I almost gave you everything
And now the whole thing's finished and I can't stop wishing
That I never gave you anything
Eyes Closed
Unlike "100 Letters", which was about reflecting on a past love, Eyes Closed is about being a new relationship while still having feelings for your ex.
This fact is made known on the chorus with the lyrics:
Now if I keep my eyes closed, he looks just like you
But he'll never stay, they never do
Now if I keep my eyes closed, he feels just like you
But you've been replaced
I'm face to face with someone new
On the second verse, Halsey calls her ex "a lover and a liar" singing:
Would've gave it all for you, cared for you
So tell me where I went wrong
Would've gave it all for you, cared for you
(My lover, my liar)
And later, she continues on the bridge of the song with:
He don't realize that I'm thinkin' about you
It's nothing new, it's nothing new
Alone
On the synth-pop track "Alone", the song makes mention of a social butterfly at a house party. The story is told in the second character's perspective of this party, with "Heaven In Hiding" (a song that can be found on the deluxe edition of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom), serving as the act of the first character's perspective.
Halsey opens up the first verse saying that she never has time for her significant lover singing:
Said he tried to phone me, but I never have time
He said that I never listen, but I don't even try
I got a new place in Cali, but I'm gone every night
So I fill it with strangers so they keep on the lights
Then, she continues on the pre-chorus with:
See, everywhere I go
I got a million different people tryna kick it
But I'm still alone in my mind, yeah
The singer is also warning her pursuer that of the inevitable hurt that awaits them when the relationship breaks down on the chorus with the lyrics:
I know you're dying to meet me
But I can just tell you this
Baby, as soon as you meet me
You'll wish that you never did
Now or Never
Now or Never is a slow R&B track that describes the tale of two lovers enduring hardships and struggles in a dystopian world as Halsey sings on the first verse with:
Been through the ups
Yeah the ups and the downs with me
Got a whole lot of love
But you don't wanna spread it 'round with me, yeah
On the chorus, the singer's character Luna wants her lover to stay close with her while trying to keep their romance grounded with the lyrics:
Baby gon' love me now, now, now, now, now, now
Now or never, hey, hey, hey
I want you to hold me down, down, down, down, down, down
Down forever, hey, hey, hey
Said you know I wanna keep you around
Sorry
Sorry is a piano ballad where Halsey talks about her insecurities that might have played a part in her relationship with her lover.
On the first verse, she regrets not returning her ex's phone calls while also making hints about her bipolar disorder singing:
I've missed your calls for months it seems
Don't realize how mean I can be
'Cause I can sometimes treat the people
That I love like jewelry
'Cause I can change my mind each day
I didn't mean to try you on
But I still know your birthday
And your mother's favorite song
Halsey could seemingly be referring to her bipolar disorder as the reason why she has failed in her relationship on the chorus with the lyrics:
So I'm sorry to my unknown lover
Sorry that I can't believe
That anybody ever really
Starts to fall in love with me
Sorry to my unknown lover
Didn't mean to leave you
And all of the things that we had behind
Now, Hal is telling her ex that she hopes that he will "find someone" who loves him as she sings on the bridge with:
And someone will love you
Someone will love you
Someone will love you
But someone isn't me
Good Mourning
Good Mourning serves as the first interlude on the album. The song is partially spoken with vocals from the singer's 12 year old brother Dante as they open up the intro with:
They told me once, "there's a place where love conquers all"
A city with the streets full of milk and honey
I haven't found it yet, but I'm still searching
Before Halsey takes overs on the next four lines saying:
All I know is a hopeless place that flows with the blood of my kin
Perhaps hopeless isn't a place
Nothing but a state of mind
They told me once, "don't trust the moon, she's always changing"
And then, it ends with a resonating chorus with the lyrics:
Sun is coming up oh, why, oh, why, oh, why
Sun is coming up oh, why, oh, why, oh, why
Sun is coming up oh, why, oh, why, oh, why
Lie
Lie is considered as Halsey's raciest song to date as she sings about a sexual tension between the two lovers in this story.
Halsey does a continuation of "100 Letters" on the first verse with:
I watch you devour, mistake me for bread
Well boy, is you fed? Or are you misled?
I gave you the messiest head
You give me the messiest head
Oh, you're turnin' red
'Cause I'm tryna give the impression that I get the message you wish I was dead
Luna is asking the person, whom she suspects doesn't love her anymore, to continue to act the way that he does on the pre-chorus with the lyrics:
See you 'bouta break a sweat (I, I, I)
I won't let us finish yet (I, I, I)
Please don't take this as a threat (I, I, I)
All I'm sayin' is if you don't love me no more, then
Then, she continues on the chorus telling her lover to just lie instead of admitting that he doesn't feel anything for her singing:
Lie, lie
Lie, lie
Walls Could Talk
Walls Could Talk describes the back and forth arguments that Halsey has had with her lover and how long lasting some of them have been.
On the first verse, the singer makes a reference to her bipolar disorder singing:
Been about three days and I'm comin' back
I'm about four minutes from a heart attack
And I think you make me a maniac
But you don't know, oh
Then, she bares it all on the pre-chorus with:
And we both hope there's something
But we bo-both keep fronting
And it's a closed discussion
And I'm thinking, "Damn, if these walls could talk"
Halsey is also continuing the constant theme of being a new relationship after her previous one goes sour on the second verse with the lyrics:
Told my new roommate not to let you in
But you're so damn good with a bobby pin
Now you gon' play me like a violin, hittin' these notes
Bad at Love
On "Bad at Love", Halsey finds herself going through a list of different lovers and what went wrong in their relationship.
On the first verse, she talks a boy in Michigan that she used to date with the lyrics:
Got a boy back home in Michigan
And he tastes like Jack when I'm kissing him
So I told him that I never really liked his friends
Now he's gone and he's calling me a b***h again
Then, the singer continues on the chorus with:
I'm bad at love (Ooh-ooh)
But you can't blame me for tryin'
You know I'd be lyin' sayin'
You were the one (Ooh-ooh)
That could finally fix me
Lookin' at my history
I'm bad at love
Halsey also makes mention about falling in love with a girl, which shows an indicate to her being bisexual on the second part of the song singing:
Got a girl with California eyes
And I thought that she could really be the one this time
But I never got the chance to make her mine
Because she fell in love with little thin white lines
London girl with an attitude
Strangers featuring Lauren Jauregui
Just like her previous track "Bad at Love", Strangers is a bisexual anthem that finds Luna (Halsey) and Rosa (Lauren) meeting at a "crazy house party" that takes place at the singer's house. This is Halsey's first song using female pronouns rather than gender-neutral pronouns in some of her other songs.
Halsey starts to show off her character Luna's affectionate side on the first verse with:
She doesn't kiss me on the mouth anymore
'Cause it's more intimate, than she thinks we should get
She doesn't look me in the eyes anymore
Too scared of what she'll see, somebody holding me
On the second verse, Lauren exchanges her verse with the lyrics:
She doesn't call me on the phone anymore
She's never listening, she says it's innocent
She doesn't let me have control anymore
I must've crossed a line, I must've lost my mind
Then, Halsey and Lauren's characters Luna and Rosa begin to express their longing for intimacy with each other singing on the chorus:
Said that we're not lovers, we're just strangers
With the same damn hunger
To be touched, to be loved, to feel anything at all
Devil In Me
Halsey is taking a dark turn on the album with her song "Devil In Me". On it, she talks about dealing with her inner demons.
She sings on the pre-chorus with:
I won't take anyone down if I crawl tonight
But I still let everyone down when I change in size
And I went tumbling down tryna reach your high
But I scream too loud if I speak my mind
Halsey continues on the chorus saying she doesn't want to wake up "the devil" inside her body with the lyrics:
I don't wanna wake it up
I don't wanna wake it up
I don't wanna wake it up
The devil in me
But on the second chorus, she changes it from "I don't wanna wake it up" to "I gotta wake it up". This shows that the singer is drifting herself away from this unhealthy relationship singing:
Now I gotta wake it up
Now I gotta wake it up
Now I gotta wake it up
The devil in me
Hopeless featuring Cashmere Cat
Hopeless is the last song on Halsey's sophomore studio album. She writes about how hopeless is just a state of mind, not a period of her life. And that she can quickly overcome it as she finishes her journey in finding herself after coming out of a toxic relationship.
Halsey starts off the song with dialogue between the two lovers Luna and Solis on the first verse with:
Boy, you make it look so easy
Promise that I'm gonna call you back in five
Sorry, baby girl, but I can't tonight, oh
Boy, you make it look so simple, mm
Yeah, I've known that girl for like my whole life
Back in my hotel and I'm alone inside, oh
On the pre-chorus, the singer still love her boyfriend despite all of the dark secrets that he has kept from her. She also begins to show a sign of weakness as well singing:
'Cause you know the truth hurts, but secrets kill
Can't help thinkin' that I love it still
Still here, there must be something real
And so it must be better than I think it is
Gimme those eyes, it's easy to forgive
Even though their love might be completely hopeless because her and Solis are from two different houses, Luna hopes that one day it will all change on the chorus with the lyrics:
Oh-oh-oh
I hope hopeless
Oh-ooh
Changes over time
For starters, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom is so much better than her last album. And the reason why I said that is because of how HFK has that R&B and Pop vibe that you normally wouldn't get on the Badlands album if you go back and listen to it. This album, in my opinion, really showcases Halsey's voice and talent at the same time.
And I am also very proud of her for being more open about her bisexuality in her music, which is something that she has never done before.
Buy and stream Hopeless Fountain Kingdom on Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, Amazon and more:
Deluxe edition:
Can't get enough of Halsey's music? Check out some of my previous reviews about her below:
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