New Americana Analysis

Halsey's New Americana is a narrative music video, in the style of a dystopian world. It reminds me of a tv show or a movie, namely The 100 or the Hunger Games. This is also the opinion of many of Halsey's fans.

It's dystopian theme is unique to the album Badlands as that was the way Halsey wanted to go for her debut album. The start of the video has Halsey doing a voiceover to accompany an old style video type establishing shot of the setting of the video.

The backing track is not the same as the studio recorded version as it includes a voiceover and a short mid clip that has quiet instrumental music in the background. It continues the storyline properly, it's not just a music video, it's trying to actually tell a story of Halsey and her 'New Americana'. The song starts up again after twenty seconds, silencing Halsey's screaming and the noises of the compound she is in. It gives it more impact, you can see them talking and screaming but there's no sound but the song. It makes it seem like the song is the most important thing happening.

The entire song is purely lit by lights in the video; namely fire, emergency lighting in the bunker, the fires at the compound, some natural light at the start but the majority of the song is shot at night.

Halsey's New Americana