Halsey is reigniting her feud with music critic Anthony Fantano nearly a year after he torched her album “The Great Impersonator.” The Grammy-nominated singer took aim at the popular YouTube reviewer Sunday night after social media users resurfaced discussion about Fantano’s harsh assessment of the deeply personal project, which chronicled Halsey’s battle with serious health issues.
Anthony Fantano’s original review of the album was widely criticized by some Halsey fans after he described the project as exhibiting “main character syndrome,” a characterization that clearly still doesn’t sit well with the singer.
Halsey didn’t hold back when responding to the reviewer’s past comments. In one post, she directly referenced both Fantano’s criticism and her own health battle, writing:
“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.”
For Halsey, the criticism appeared to hit deeper than a simple negative album review because “The Great Impersonator” was heavily inspired by her personal experiences and health struggles.
The Singer Endured Years Of Symptoms Before Receiving Answers
The singer was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2022 and has spoken openly about the physical and emotional toll of her treatment. During an appearance on Benny Blanco‘s “Friends Keep Secrets” podcast, the singer revealed that she spent years struggling with unexplained symptoms before finally receiving a diagnosis.
When asked how long she had been feeling unwell before doctors identified the problem, Halsey offered a startling answer. “Like eight years,” she revealed. “If someone was paying attention, we could have figured this out like eight years ago.”
Today, Halsey continues to undergo chemotherapy treatments to manage her condition. The singer described the aftermath of treatment as leaving her feeling “horrible for a couple of days” and compared the experience to “the worst, the gnarliest hangover you’ve ever had in your life.”
The singer expanded on her frustrations in a second social media post, arguing that Fantano’s critique reflected a larger issue.
“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 then explained why she believes the comments resonated beyond her own experience:
“Being a woman dealing with serious health issues often means being afraid of telling the truth about the pain you’re in because you’re afraid of not being believed or seeming attention seeking. He validated that fear to thousands of women.”
The remarks quickly gained attention online, with fans debating whether Fantano’s original review crossed a line given the subject matter explored throughout the album.
Anthony Fantano Responds To The Criticism
Fantano eventually addressed the singer’s comments, appearing to take the exchange in stride. The YouTube personality responded by saying he was flattered to have landed on Halsey’s radar and referred to her as a “queen.” However, the response did little to soften the singer’s stance.
Halsey doubled down on her criticism, once again describing Fantano as a “raised-by-4chan edgelord bully” before ultimately signaling she was finished with the back-and-forth. “That’s all and good luck to this man!”
Fantano’s Review Drew Attention For Its Low Score
Fantano, who operates the popular YouTube channel The Needle Drop and frequently refers to himself as the “internet’s busiest music nerd,” gave The Great Impersonator a “decent 1” out of 10 in his original review. The score became one of the most talked-about aspects of his critique and generated significant debate among fans of both the reviewer and the singer.
The online personality has built a massive following through his music reviews and interviews with major artists. Most recently, he drew attention after interviewing Olivia Rodrigo, with some social media users accusing him of showing favoritism toward certain female artists.
Now, months after the release of “The Great Impersonator,” Fantano’s review is once again making headlines, but this time because Halsey decided to publicly respond.
