Halsey Throws a Hoedown, Pays Homage to Lady Gaga, Shania Twain in ‘You Should Be Sad’ Watch
Sometimes, in order to get all of your feelings out, you just need to get on the dancefloor and groove. And that's exactly what Halsey's doing in her latest video.
On Friday (Jan. 10), Halsey released the latest single and video off of her Manic album (due out Jan. 17) titled "You Should Be Sad," a country-inspired heartbreak anthem where the star looks back on her former flame and recognizes that she can be both sad and glad to not be there anymore. "I feel so sorry, I feel so sad/ I tried to help you, it just made you mad," she sings on the chorus.
The video for the new track sees Halsey pulling up to a barn dance party as she tries to get over her lost love. The star goes through full choreographed dance numbers and multiple high-fashion costume changes, all while her mascara shows the tears that have been streaming down her face. "You're not half the man you think that you are/ And you can't fill the hole inside of you with money, drugs, and cars," she seethes.
But the video is more than just a fun dance party; eagle-eyed fans online pointed out what they saw as direct references to other stars' videos, which Halsey later confirmed on her Twitter. For example, in one segment the star dons a suede, leopard print bra, pants and jacket with a hood, directly pointing to Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much" video, of which the star said "was so hard not to post 100000 pics of this. I peaked in life here." In another scene, she poses nearly nude with long, bleach blonde hair on top of a white horse, which she explained was a reference to Lady Gaga's character in American Horror Story: Hotel. Other fans pointed out references to Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" video and Carrie Underwood's "Cry Pretty" clip.
During her early-morning tweet session, Halsey also explained to fans how she came up with the concept of the song, saying that she had "the vision to do a 'Before He Cheats' but instead about after he does haha." She also answered a fan's question about her pivot to a more country-style sound, saying "The most petty and heartbreaking songs all come from country. I wrote YSBS on my living room floor on my guitar. Lots of time in Nashville too."
Check out the "You Should Be Sad" video below: