Halsey reflects on health struggles and fame in new single "Ego"

Halsey’s new single “Ego” delves into her hidden health struggles and discomfort with fame, from her upcoming album.

Halsey’s latest single "Ego" offers a raw look into her battle with illness and discomfort with fame. In the pop-punk track, Halsey, who has been candid about hiding her lupus and rare T-cell disorder for two years, opens with: “I'm caught up in the everyday trend / Tied up by invisible thread / Walking down a razor-thin edge / And I wake up tired, think I'm better off dead." The song continues themes from previous singles "The End" and "Lucky," exploring both physical and emotional turmoil.

Throughout "Ego," Halsey reflects on concealing her condition, admitting in the bridge, “Who am I kidding? / I'm doing way worse than I'm admitting.” Alongside health struggles, she addresses the pressure of maintaining her public image, singing, “Still a little kid that can't make friends / Wanna be invited, but I won't attend / I've been having bad dreams my career could end.”

Accompanied by a "Mr. & Mrs. Smith"-inspired music video, the song highlights Halsey’s internal struggle, with the line, “I think that I should try to kill my ego / 'Cause if I don't, my ego might kill me,” underscoring the conflict between her public persona and private life. The track ends on a somber note: “I’m really not that happy being me.”

Halsey's fifth album, The Great Impersonator, from which "Ego" is taken, will be released on Oct. 25. The album’s theme revolves around the masks people wear to conceal their pain.