Rating: 8.5/10
If I had to sum up Tiffany Day’s sophomore album “HALO” in one word, I would say vulnerable. Not many artists are able to successfully mix such introspective lyrics with rave-adjacent beats, but she pulls it off with ease.
Tiffany Day is a 26-year-old Chinese-American singer who was raised in Wichita, Kansas. While originally a bedroom pop artist, she has transitioned into electro/hyperpop with the release of “HALO.” Electropop is a music-fusion genre that combines pop with electronic musical instruments like synthesizers, whereas hyperpop — while more loosely defined — is a high-energy, high-octane blend of pop and electronic dance music (EDM). The combination of these two musical styles creates a sound that envelops you completely.
As someone who can’t stand the sound of EDM, I was pleasantly surprised by Day’s album. I must admit I’m a sucker for meaningful lyrics, which she excels at, but I actually enjoyed several of the more upbeat songs.
Her opening track “EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED” wasn’t my favorite at first because I felt it was too speak-singy, which is a technique where the singer delivers lyrics in a way that mimics the cadence and inflection of speaking. However, after a second listen, paying close attention to the lyrics, it grew on me. Day expresses her self-doubt and lack of certainty in who she is, questioning her life choices. The track uses a soft beat that continues to grow and pulse as she gets more vulnerable, smoothly leading into the high-energy next track “DOIT4ME.”
This is a perfect segue and a shift in emotion. While Day might still be feeling insecure, she’s determined to hide it through this upbeat, rave-like song. This ended up being my favorite song of the album. It’s overwhelming, but in a good way that just makes you want to dance.
The next song — “SAME LA” — is similar in emotion, but pulls back on the heavy EDM sound. Day describes her attempts to fit in by getting high and going to parties, while feeling that no one knows the real her. The song becomes more introspective in the post-chorus, where the word “talk” repeats over 20 times, a demonstration of her inner voice urging her to open up.
“PRETTY4U” perfectly sums up the high expectations we as girls feel to be pretty and the shame of not fitting in. She alternates between saying, “I can be pretty too,” and “I can be pretty for you,” indicating that her thoughts are trying to convince both herself and someone else that she can be pretty like the other girls she admires. This track is quite bouncy and has a similar dance-esque vibe to “DOIT4ME,” demonstrating Day’s skill in tackling difficult topics in both lyrics and music.
“COPYCAT” is closely tied to the previous song, demonstrating her strong desire to be like the person she admires. Her self-worth continues to plummet as she becomes obsessed with becoming her idol. While I dislike the intro to the song, I love the chorus because it sums up losing herself and following everything the person she admires does, even if it’s not her thing.
“NO LUCK” further explores her feelings of self-doubt and mental health struggles with a heavy, hazy synth background. I would argue some of her most vulnerable lyrics are in this track, which I appreciated as someone who has struggled with mental health for years. “NO LUCK” demonstrates the exhaustion of living with mental health conditions, putting all of your hope into medication and therapy, and still struggling. The consistent reverb of the synth almost makes the song feel like a dream-like state.
“BREAKUP” perfectly sums up the complexity of relationships, especially for people who struggle with mental health. Day grapples with her feelings of being selfish and guilty as she contemplates breaking up with her partner because she thinks she’d be better off alone. She feels that they’re too different and she doesn’t understand love, and the lyrics perfectly express the self-destructiveness of your own thoughts.
“TELL ME WHAT I DID” is my least favorite track of the entire album, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good song. While it feels very speak-singy at times and I don’t like the melody, the lyrics hit hard. Day sings about getting cheated on and the anger she feels because she gave him everything and he threw it all away. She says, “You are not a man at all,” which I love, because by cheating, you really do forfeit your humanity. However, I feel like this song could’ve been angrier musically because the lyrics are so blunt.
“START OVER” portrays the desire for a reset, though I also interpreted it as her next chapter after breaking up with her boyfriend. Day is overwhelmed from feelings of anxiety and not knowing what she wants. She dances throughout the music video, displaying she doesn’t care about him anymore, but there are some slower shots that reveal her moments of doubt and stress, illustrating her wish to be able to press pause on her life at times.
“LOOK UP” is Day’s reminiscing about her past relationship and the frustrations of him wanting her now that she’s different. She’s shaking her head at her younger self, who valued him and looked up to him when he never cared about her the same way. The track demonstrates her self-reflection and how much she’s changed.
Being an “AMERICAN GIRL” means trying to fit in with everyone else, and this song captures Day’s struggle with these pressures, exploring her journey with her identity and how she desires to be like the other American girls. She’ll do anything to be like the ones she admires, do anything to fit in, even getting “fucked up.” Her anxiety and desire to prove she’s like the others is furthered by the fast pop beat at the end of the song.
“FAREWELL TOLEDO” has a much different vibe from the rest of the album and is one of my favorites — I’m partial to slow, emotional songs. This track is a sad goodbye to her relationship and an ode to becoming familiar with being alone. Day wishes the relationship could have lasted forever, but it never would’ve worked because they’re too different. She recognizes the need to leave him for her own good — to finish what she started. This song encapsulates the pain of letting go of someone you love.
Finally, “IT’S NOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE” describes the horrible feeling of loneliness that you feel despite being surrounded by loved ones. It resonates deeply with me because this is a feeling I experience often with depression. By saying, “It’s not like that anymore,” we understand how much Day has changed. She has grown, but her thoughts come back whenever she’s lonely. This song also hits hard because after dealing with mental health issues for so many years, it does feel like you wouldn’t be impacted by it anymore. Toward the end of the song, there’s a shift as she recognizes that no one will love her like herself — and she doesn’t need anyone to.
“HALO” is a raw album that explores Day’s emotions and problems with upbeat/EDM rhythms, making it not only catchy, but also relatable. Her lyrics feel human and helped me feel less alone, knowing that other people have these thoughts too. I was truly blown away by this album, and the more I listened to it, the more I fell in love with it, even if this isn’t my typical type of music.
Each listener will get something different out of the album, and that’s the beauty of music — everyone can interpret it their own way.
Abby Morris is an English and political science junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.
