Chart-topping singer says she is ‘not allowed’ to make another album

Halsey has revealed that her record label is keeping her from making more music.

The “Closer” singer said she can’t make another album because her label, Columbia Records, viewed the sales from her last record, “The Great Impersonator,” as a failure.

“I can’t make an album right now, I’m not allowed to,” Halsey said in a recent interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music. “‘The Great Impersonator’ didn’t perform the way they thought it was going to. And if I’m being honest with you, the album sold 100,000 [expletive] copies first week — that’s a pretty big first week. Especially for an artist who hasn’t had a hit in a long time.”

The “Bad at Love” singer went on to say that label executives expect her to repeat the success of her 2020 album, “Manic.” That album — which contained the chart-topping, diamond-certified hit “Without Me” — went on to sell more than 2 million copies.

“They want ‘Manic’ numbers from me. Everyone wants ‘Manic’ numbers from me. I can’t do that every single time. It should be good enough that I do it once in a while. But it’s not,” Halsey told Lowe. “And what would be considered a success story for most artists — 100,000 albums first week in an era where we don’t sell physical music, with no radio hit, nothing — it’s a failure in the context of the kind of success I’ve had previously.”

The 3-time Grammy nominee said that this is “the hardest part of having been a pop star once” because “I am being compared to numbers and to other people that I don’t consider lateral to me.”

Halsey added that she should rather be compared to “the other types of artists who are making the type of music that I am making.”

Since Halsey’s career took off in 2014, the singer has been dealing with some health issues over the last few years. She most recently revealed her Lupus diagnosis last year.

Halsey said in an June 5 Instagram post that she was first diagnosed with Lupus SLE and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in 2022.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissue, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Meanwhile lymphoproliferative disorders cause monoclonal lymphocytosis, lymphadenopathy and bone marrow infiltration, the National Library of Medicine states. While both conditions are being managed or are in remission, Halsey said she will likely have both for the rest of their life.

“After a rocky start, I slowly got everything under control with the help of amazing doctors. After 2 years, I’m feeling better and I’m more grateful than ever to have music to turn to,” wrote Halsey, whose real name is Ashley Frangipane. “I can’t wait to get back where I belong: With you all. Singing and screaming my heart out.”

It was this experience that heavily inspired “The Great Impersonator,” which was released in October 2024.

In August, Halsey announced her “Back to Badlands Tour” in honor of the 10th anniversary of her debut album, “Badlands.” The tour will include two stops at MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.