5 Shocking Reasons Why Halsey 'Can't Make An Album' Right Now: The 2025 Label Battle

The question "Why can't Halsey make an album?" has a simple yet shocking answer, revealed by the artist themselves in late 2024: They are currently "not allowed" to by their own record label. This revelation cuts to the heart of the modern music industry's commercial pressures, where even a global superstar with multiple platinum records can be sidelined if their latest project does not meet the label's aggressive sales expectations. The controversy centers on the commercial performance of their fifth studio album, The Great Impersonator, which, despite a strong chart debut, was deemed an "underperformance" by Columbia Records, effectively putting a moratorium on their next creative project as of December 2025.

This situation is a stark reminder of the often-strained relationship between creative freedom and corporate demands. While Halsey, whose real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, is ready to move forward with new music, the gatekeepers at their label are holding the keys, insisting on a return to the massive sales figures of previous eras. This article dives deep into the specific reasons for this unprecedented delay, the metrics the label is using, and the broader implications for the artist's career moving into 2026.

Halsey: Biography, Profile, and Studio Discography

Halsey, born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, is an American singer, songwriter, and activist known for their genre-bending music and candid personal lyrics. Their career has been marked by a willingness to explore complex themes of identity, mental health, and relationships, establishing them as a voice for a generation.

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• Full Name: Ashley Nicolette Frangipane
• Born: September 29, 1994 (Age 31 as of late 2025)
• Birthplace: Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
• Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Activist, Make-up Artist
• Career Start: Gained prominence in 2014 with the debut EP Room 93.
• Former Label: Capitol Records (for first four studio albums)
• Current Label: Columbia Records (Signed in 2023)

Studio Album Discography & Key Highlights

Halsey’s five studio albums showcase a dynamic artistic evolution, each achieving significant commercial success and critical attention:

• Badlands (2015): A conceptual debut that established their alternative pop sound.
• Hopeless Fountain Kingdom (2017): Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, featuring the hit single "Bad at Love."
• Manic (2020): A highly personal album that debuted at No. 2, considered a commercial peak by many, featuring the massive global hit "Without Me."
• If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power (2021): A critically acclaimed, industrial-leaning album produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
• The Great Impersonator (2024): The fifth studio album, released on Columbia Records, which is at the center of the current controversy.

The Core Conflict: Why Columbia Records Issued the Ban

The primary reason Halsey cannot release a new album is a direct instruction from their current record company. This highly unusual situation was revealed by Halsey in a candid September 2024 interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music.

During the interview, Halsey stated, "I can't make an album right now. I'm not allowed to. It's the reality." The ban stems entirely from the label's dissatisfaction with the commercial performance of their 2024 album, The Great Impersonator.

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1. Perceived "Underperformance" of The Great Impersonator

Despite what would be a successful debut for most artists, Columbia Records viewed the album's initial sales as a failure in the context of Halsey's previous blockbuster numbers. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart with approximately 93,000 equivalent album units in its first week.

For a major-label artist, especially one who previously signed a major deal with Capitol Records before moving to Columbia in 2023, this figure was apparently not high enough to warrant the immediate green light for a follow-up project. The label's internal metric for success was set impossibly high, leading to a commercial stalemate.

2. The "Manic Numbers" Expectation

Halsey specifically pointed out that the label is holding them to the standard set by their 2020 album, Manic. The success of Manic, propelled by the diamond-certified single "Without Me," represents a commercial peak that the label expects every subsequent album to match or exceed. The difference between The Great Impersonator's first-week sales (approx. 93k units) and the label's expectation of "Manic numbers" represents a massive gap in commercial goals.

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This is a classic industry pressure point: a major label invests based on the artist's peak performance, and anything less is seen as a financial risk. The label's strategy is to stall the next album until Halsey can deliver a guaranteed hit single or a project with a more commercially viable sound that promises a higher return on investment.

The Broader Implications: Creative Freedom vs. Corporate Control

The situation with Halsey and Columbia Records highlights a critical tension in the music business: the battle between an artist's desire for creative evolution and a corporation's need for predictable profit.

3. The Shift in Record Label Dynamics

Halsey's move from Capitol Records to Columbia Records in 2023 was a significant career shift. While the split with Capitol was reportedly amicable, the transition to a new major label comes with new executives, new demands, and a new set of financial benchmarks. The pressure to deliver a massive hit on a debut album for a new label is immense, and when The Great Impersonator failed to match the label's internal projections, the immediate response was to halt production on the next project. This indicates a highly risk-averse strategy from the label's side.

The label is effectively using the leverage of the contract to force a different creative direction or a more commercially focused approach for the next record, ensuring it is engineered to be a chart-topper before they commit significant resources to its production and marketing.

4. The Problem with "Equivalent Album Units"

The metric of "equivalent album units" (which combines traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums) has changed the definition of success. While 93,000 units is a strong debut, it may have been heavily reliant on physical sales or less profitable streams than the label desired. For a label, the long-term profitability often relies on a sustained, high-volume streaming performance from multiple hit singles, a factor where The Great Impersonator may have fallen short of their projections.

Halsey's public statement about being "not allowed" is a direct challenge to this corporate definition of success, arguing that a No. 2 debut and critical acclaim should be enough to justify continued artistic output.

5. The Artist's Focus on the Future: The Back to Badlands Tour

Despite the album ban, Halsey is not idle. Their focus has shifted to their upcoming concert series, the "Back to Badlands Tour," which is scheduled to run from late 2025 through early 2026. This tour, which revisits their breakout debut album, Badlands, is a strategic move. By focusing on a beloved, successful era of their career, Halsey is able to maintain relevance, connect with their loyal fanbase, and generate revenue without needing a new album to promote.

The tour serves as a powerful reminder to the label of the artist's enduring popularity and touring power, which is a major revenue stream. It also allows Halsey to buy time while the label re-evaluates its position or while they potentially negotiate a path forward for their next studio project. Ultimately, the "why" of the album delay is a complex story of commercial pressure, label expectations, and the ongoing fight for artistic control in the high-stakes world of pop music.