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Halsey embodies nine of the greatest musicians of all time for his new album
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Halsey embodies nine of the greatest musicians of all time for his new album

There's nothing more comforting than the sweet feeling of nostalgia – and Halsey knows it.

As a tribute to some of the greatest musicians of all time, the pop star has made it his mission to emulate them – or in this case, impersonate them. For the release of her fifth studio album, The Great Impersonator, Halsey has transformed herself into some of the music world's biggest icons.

The shape-shifting pop star described her new album in a statement, “Experience the uncanny ability of a woman who can become anyone, anything her heart desires.” Friend, lover, enemy. She transforms before your eyes, her voice and…” Her face is a reflection of your deepest dreams and darkest fears, but be careful, for she is not just a master of disguise, but a spirit of transformation who can become one in an instant beloved friend and in the next a shadowy nightmare is the queen of the uncanny, the mistress of metamorphosis. Beware of the great impersonator!

From David Bowie to Dolly Parton, Salon profiles all the legendary musicians Halsey pays tribute to in her new album:

First up is the queen of country music. Halsey eerily mimics the country legend's album cover for her 28th album, “Rainbow,” released in 1987, which features Parton in a quintessential '80s look with teased, loose hair and a tight black and gold dress.

“The countdown to 'The Great Imitator' begins,” Halsey wrote in a post revealing her take on Parton. “Every day from now until the album’s release on October 25th, I will embody a different icon and perform a snippet of the song they inspired.”

Halsey refers to Parton as “the queen” and reveals that the track “Hometown” was inspired by the country star's influence on music and on Halsey herself.

Next on Halsey's list of impersonators is British alternative artist PJ Harvey.

Here, she takes on a 1995 ID Magazine cover featuring Harvey in cool blue eyeshadow and an American flag bikini top to set the mood for “Dog Years,” which Halsey describes as “one of my absolute favorite songs on the album, inspired.” by one of the most influential artists of my life.

Another British alternative star, Kate Bush, is at the center of Halsey's vision, with the pop artist walking in a stunning photograph by Clive Arrowsmith titled “Kate Bush, Blue.” The 1981 photo shows Bush with teased dark brown curls contrasted with bold red lipstick. Bush is surrounded by a textured blue fabric that almost completely swallows her, which corresponds to Halsey's song “I Never Loved You,” released on October 10.

The iconic Cher will next be seen in Halsey's incarnations. Here she copies a 1978 photo of Cher wearing a custom baby blue jumpsuit by Bob Mackie. Cher's long dark brown hair cascades down her back as she raises her arms above her head. She's also wearing a funky pair of knee-high chrome stiletto boots.

Halsey says the photo inspired her song “Letter to God (1974),” in which she calls Cher an “Undisputed Queen.”

“One of my favorite Cher songs, 'Dark Lady,' was a No. 1 hit in 1974. “He’s still number 1 in my heart today,” she enthuses.

In Halsey's own words, next up is “Ziggy Stardust, The Starman, The Thin White Duke, The Picasso of Pop, Major Tom, The Master of Reinvention and The Chameleon of Rock… David Bowie.”

In the photo that inspired Halsey's bold Bowie look – a Terry O'Neill classic from 1974 – he is wearing a mustard suit with matching orange-yellow hair, smoking a cigarette and holding a pair of scissors. Appropriately, the image is titled “Scissors,” and Halsey cuts it well.

Halsey also puts Amy Lee, the lead singer of the American rock band Evanescence, in the spotlight. The singer called Lee “my OG dark rock queen” and chose to mimic Evanescence's album cover for the rock band's first album, Fallen, which features a young emo Lee with pierced eyebrows, jet black hair and Crystal blue hair can be seen eyes.

The late Irish singer Dolores O'Riordan, better known for being the lead singer of the alternative band The Cranberries, also receives her flowers from Halsey.

Halsey said her portrayal of O'Riordan didn't cost too much, “since I was basically born as Dolores' long-lost daughter, but I couldn't do the show without honoring this incredible woman.”

In the photo, Halsey sports a sassy pixie haircut and plucked thin eyebrows to pay homage to O'Riordan's cherry-red cropped hairstyle and the overall 2000s punk rock aesthetic.

The head witch in charge, Stevie Nicks, is at the center of Halsey's inspirations. She calls her “the mystical Madame herself” and embodies Nick's flowing outfit from Fleetwood Mac's “Rumors” album cover.

The Grammy-winning album was photographed by rock and roll photographer Herbert Worthington and featured both Mick Fleetwood and Nicks in their “Rhiannon” outfit.

“There were so many looks to choose from, but I HAD to go with this witch ballerina from 'Rumors.'” “This pose was NOT easy to do while controlling the tulle! As we know, Stevie is made of magic,” Halsey said.

The most recent major musician Halsey has emulated is rock star Bruce Springsteen, who calls him “NJ's finest aka The Boss.”

Inspired by the cover of his seventh studio album, Born in the USA, Halsey transformed into a young Springsteen in 1984. Halsey jumped in front of an American flag with an electric guitar in hand and paid homage to the popular photo by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Halsey said of the photo: “No need for explanation, I'm a Jersey girl :)”

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