Being Totally Normal™ about Halsey
This will be added to when I don't feel like I'm gonna be interrupted. I'm expecting Drive to throw off my theory somehow (which references HFK and TGI in a "they're at least spiritually connected" kinda way)... Though the preview got me like 👀.
As someone with experience in multiple Me's, i have Thoughts! They're 100% projection and my brain latching hard onto the table scene and the tapes urging the others to wake up. It Feels like my experience in healing our DID. Finding old hosts and letting them join our experience outside the walls. Waking them up.
We know based on a Last.fm interview that The Badlands is a place in her head. Having had my own inner world (and being autistic) I took this literally. Ashley and Halsey are encountering each other in their mind in a way that makes me wonder if it's a mirror to the Ego music video; 2 alters experiencing the same confrontation from opposite sides. As an artist with DID who thinks in pictures and has become fascinated with the difference in aesthetic filters that our alters see their stories through, I can't help but put this meaning on these 2 videos specifically.
Still basing this on my own experiences. The characters would align with:
Fem is Halsey: the part made to be a mask to protect them,
Short-hair/ masc would be Ashley: the part it was masking over.
Potentially it's a past host (Ash) encountering the recent host (H).
In Gasoline, H is going through her life, reflecting, touching base with those parts or parts of their life. She's confident because she knows more from being the one looking for everyone. H finds Ash, where will it take them??
In Ego, they're both at the table but Ash doesn't know if H can be trusted, but also H came prepared. Life becomes very confusing and hurts to become re-conscious about. Ash thinks its a fight, but it's more of a waking up. Like those dreams where you wake up before dying.
OML this Compilation Post by abenss on Reddit is making the hyper-fixation so much more streamlined.
Ghost H: The only reason I can think of for the 2 names is because there are 2 different Ghost MVs?
Colors H: Could be the part who craves a certain kind of protective energy that comes with what is unfortunately referred to as "daddy issues." I'll not dig farther into that beyond it being relatable.
New Americana H = Ash imo: a host never rarely asks to be a host, they're just the alter who gets stuck in the more conscious parts of the brain easiest during the section of time they're host. This is the Halsey that went dormant when life shifted in a way that hid Ash away to either protect them or let them rest/process in the subconscious.
I'm pretty sure it's more of an "avengers assemble" sort of thing going on but she's giving the tapes to people she knows are in contact with the other Halseys: Colors and Ghost, to find her way to Ash. Ironically though, you do have to contact alters through other alters sometimes.
I'm once again thinking Literally for this tape's label. "You're part of a machine," reminds me of how my body's system sometimes jokingly referred to ourselves as a human Voltron. :'D
𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡𓎢𓎠𓎟𓎠𓎡
Now that I'm done going through the Compilation post. Lets go to the New Americana video!
Originally, I thought of the intro being of the Halsey that is almost executed (Ash). But going through this with my new theory, I'm realizing it could be the one that awakes at the end (H). Following this logic, the whole video could pass as a visual of how it feels internally to have a host go dormant through trauma, and the waking up confused and alone of a new host.
I cant tell what the jacket says but they're in pure white which can symbolize a fresh slate. We know this isn't after a crash because she is neither dirty nor beat up. They confusedly take the keys because she's taking the place of the main pilot (host). The radio can be symbolic of both their path as a musician, but also the way a new host may only have one way communication with others (especially in a point of life where you're unaware of the disorder disordering).
ALSO THE NEXT VIDEO IS DRIVE AAAA?!?!?!!!
I'm putting this famous pic on the end cause it feels like a footnote to the rest but for some reason my brain has latched onto it being a trilogy. The story is the Limerent Teenage Daydream lens (Room 93+Badlands) and HFK was the relationship not aligning with that. Manic is like the extra one where you learn about the author and behind-the-scenes.
If I had to add the other albums, IICHLIWP would be the stories that character grew up on and TGI would be the body being forced to focus on itself for once.
💫 FUN FACT!
IICHLIWP sounds like Eclipse to both screen readers I use. (David voice, if that matters)
I have no idea if I'm making any sense.
Anyway, Don't forget some Gasoline before Driving off ehehehe.
I'll add more as it comes to me.
Last edit: Aug 31
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