From Sean Don to Stefflon Don, it seems like there’s a whole lot of Don stuff going on in Halsey’s latest single, a rework of “Alone” from her 2017 sophomore album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. The soulful, sampled beat was already perfect for rap verse from somebody and Big Sean and Steff do it justice in spades with a pair of contrasting verses that bridge the gap between hip-hop, pop, and dancehall.
The single, a breezy missive to an ex-flame not to take Halsey for granted, was already a huge hit from last year, with nearly 20 million streams across multiple platforms, but the addition of Big Sean — a frequent collaborator of Halsey’s honey G-Eazy — the song takes on new dimension and extends its shelf life. Stefflon Don also raises her profile quite a bit as the intriguing newcomer. Her verse will turn a lot of heads in the direction of the UK product’s island-inflected patter after her previous standout appearance with Lil Yachty on “Better” from his debut, Teenage Emotions.
The outspoken Halsey has laid low on the music front since the release of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, but has remained unafraid to speak out against perceived injustices against marginalized people. After spending much of 2017 taking her fellow musicians to task for their missteps, she received an “Outstanding Music Artist” nomination from the 2018 GLAAD Awards for Hopeless, and is making her big screen debut this year as the voice of Wonder Woman in the Teen Titans Go! animated film along with Yachty as Green Lantern.
