Halsey hits back at Anthony Fantano over 'The Great Impersonator' review in heated post

Halsey replied directly to Fantano's dig, escalating the conversation and drawing significant attention online

Halsey has responded publicly to music critic Anthony Fantano after his latest social media post reignited debate surrounding his widely criticised review of her 2024 album, The Great Impersonator.

The exchange began on June 21 when Fantano shared a post stating, “if they’re more into the review than the album.”

The comment was widely interpreted by fans as a reference to The Great Impersonator, one of the most discussed album releases of 2024 and a record that received a notably negative review from the critic.

Halsey replied directly, escalating the conversation and drawing significant attention online. “I’m certain my least memorable song will be remembered more fondly and for more time than anything you ever do with your life will be. Everything you say is more ‘whiny’ and ‘edgy’ than I was at any point on that album. But at least I had the excuse of going through chemo.”

I’m certain my least memorable song will be remembered more fondly and for more time than anything you ever do with your life will be. Everything you say is more “whiny” and “edgy” than I was at any point on that album. But at least I had the excuse of going through chemo. https://t.co/h2dFzOqpKH

— halsey (@halsey) June 21, 2026

The final remark became a major focus of the discussion, as Halsey’s experiences with cancer treatment and chronic health conditions were central to the themes explored throughout the album.

The singer had previously spoken publicly about her health struggles during the creation and promotion of the project.

Additionally, she proceeded to defend her comments online calling Fantano a "raised-by-4chan edgelord bully".

Who cares he gave a bad review? I care that a pay for clicks reaction YouTuber can facade as a pro critic and say it’s “main character syndrome” for an artist to lament her medical suffering on an album (surprise!) about her own life. He’s a raised-by-4chan edgelord bully. Yuck.

— halsey (@halsey) June 22, 2026

Released in late 2024, The Great Impersonator examined identity, illness, mortality, parenthood and artistic legacy through a series of genre-inspired personas. The album was widely recognised as one of Halsey’s most personal works.

Fantano’s review generated significant debate upon release. He awarded the album a “light to decent 1”, criticising what he described as “main character syndrome” and arguing that several stylistic influences felt closer to imitation than reinvention.

The latest exchange has once again placed both the album and its critical reception at the centre of online discussion.