Halsey explores love and health battles in her new single, “The End,” the lead track from her forthcoming untitled fifth album.
Following the acclaim of her 2021 album “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power,” Halsey’s latest song details a harrowing health battle intertwined with a relationship shadowed by mortality.
Earlier this week, Halsey hinted at the song’s release on Instagram.
In her latest post, she revealed her previously undisclosed medical struggles through videos. Initially, she did not specify the illness, but on Wednesday, Halsey disclosed that she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in 2022.
“Both conditions are currently managed or in remission, though I will likely have them for life,” Halsey explained in her post.
“With the help of amazing doctors, I got everything under control after a rocky start. Two years later, I’m feeling better and more grateful than ever for music. I can’t wait to be back where I belong: with you all.”
Expressing gratitude for fans’ support since her initial health revelation, Halsey shared her relief and excitement.
“Long story short, I’m lucky to be alive. Long story long, I wrote an album. It begins with ‘The End.’ Out now,” she captioned her Tuesday Instagram post. The first slide showed her massaging her calves, visibly in pain, with medical tape around one arm.
In the video, she candidly said, “I feel like an old lady. I told myself I’m giving myself two more years to be sick. At 30, I’m having a rebirth, and I’m not going to be sick. I’ll look super hot, have lots of energy, and redo my 20s in my 30s.”
The post also included footage of Halsey in an infusion chair, masked, and stating, “Today is day one of treatment,” followed by clips from various hospital visits over time.
In conjunction with “The End” release, Halsey announced donations to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Lupus Research Alliance. She tagged both organizations in her Instagram caption, underscoring her commitment to supporting these causes.
Leukemia and lymphoma, distinct cancers affecting the blood and lymphatic system, respectively, contrast with lupus, an autoimmune disease causing the immune system to attack healthy tissue.
Lupus can impact joints, skin, circulation, and various organs. T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders can manifest as various forms of leukemia and lymphoma, according to the National Institute of Health.
In “The End,” Halsey sings, “Every couple of years now, a doctor says I’m sick/ Pulls out a brand new bag of tricks/ And then they lay it on me/ And at first, it was my brain, then a skeleton in pain/ And I don’t like to complain, but I’m saying sorry.” These lyrics reflect her ongoing health struggles and resilience.
Halsey has previously shared health challenges, including being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in 2022. At the time, she and her doctors were still seeking a root cause, potentially linked to autoimmunity.