Halsey and the Sound of If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

By the AD HOC NEWS Music Desk » Charts & Certifications - the editorial team covers albums, tours, charts and scene developments. Published: July 6, 2026 · Last reviewed: July 6, 2026 at 10:49 am

Halsey has built one of the most distinctive careers in mainstream pop and alternative rock over the past decade. Her 2021 album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power marked a decisive turn toward a darker, more guitar-driven and industrial sound shaped with producers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

What the charts once showed

Halsey first reached a wide U.S. audience with Badlands in 2015, a debut that carved out a synth-heavy, cinematic pop space and eventually went platinum in the United States. That foundation was cemented when the second album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom arrived in 2017 and opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, signaling full chart breakout.

From there, the singles run broadened her presence on the Hot 100. Without Me became her first solo No. 1 on the Hot 100 and stayed there long enough to be recognized as one of the major pop ballads of the late 2010s, while collaborations on tracks like Closer with The Chainsmokers kept her visible across mainstream and dance pop playlists.

From pop success to experimental edge

Halsey’s shift on If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power pushed her away from purely radio-tailored singles toward a more conceptual, album-focused statement. Instead of bright hooks, the record leans into distorted guitars, industrial textures and narrative sequencing that treats the project as a full front-to-back listen rather than a string of disconnected tracks.

The collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross brought in a production approach known from Nine Inch Nails and film scores, blending cinematic tension with abrasive electronic elements. For Halsey, that meant placing her vocal and lyrical persona inside a harsher sonic frame, yet still keeping an emotional core that listeners who followed her from early pop records could recognize.

The musical core of the album

On If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, Halsey’s voice sits at the intersection of pop clarity and rock abrasion. Melodies are often structured with the directness of pop songwriting, but they are surrounded by guitar feedback, heavy drums and dense synth layers that carry an alternative rock and industrial weight.

Where the act stands today

Halsey currently continues to be regarded as a boundary-pushing artist who moved from conventional pop chart dominance into a hybrid space between mainstream success and more experimental, full-album projects.

This article was created with AI assistance and editorially reviewed. All information without guarantee; dates, chart positions and certifications may change at short notice.