Pop mega-star Halsey has released her first solo single since her chart-topping hit “Without Me”. The track, titled “Nightmare”, as well as its accompanying video, signals a shift in the artist’s style. The music video, uploaded to her official YouTube channel just last Thursday, has taken the internet by storm, gaining over fifteen million streams. The song, hailed by fans as an “angry anthem”, has a 2000’s rock influence in its hook, before returning to Halsey’s signature sound.
The music video cuts between scenes, all sharing a powerful, angry feeling. The beginning of the video is black and white, and portrays a look from the 1930s and 40s. Then, as if traveling through time, the video shows a modern scene, with bright neon lights and screens. Perhaps the most “nightmarish” of the clips included in the video is when Halsey is portrayed in a bloody street fight. It’s also worth noting that in the entirety of this video, no men actors appear, only women, a bold but meaningful choice by Halsey. Overall, the music video fits the artist’s changing sound.