Halsey, who is pregnant with her first child, is not only releasing new music but also sending a powerful message with her new album titled, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. On Wednesday, the singer revealed the cover art for the upcoming album, which features her sitting on a throne and holding a baby with one of her breasts exposed.
Explaining the concept on Instagram, she wrote: “This album is a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth. It was very important to me that the cover art conveyed the sentiment of my journey over the past few months. The dichotomy of the Madonna and the Whore. The idea that me as a sexual being and my body as a vessel and gift to my child are two concepts that can co-exist peacefully and powerfully.”
She continued: “My body has belonged to the world in many different ways the past few years, and this image is my means of reclaiming my autonomy and establishing my pride and strength as a life force for my human being.”
The mom-to-be went on to explain that the image, which was photographed by Lucas Garrido, celebrates the beauty of pregnant and postpartum bodies — something “to be admired,” she said. “We have a long way to go with eradicating the social stigma around bodies & breastfeeding. I hope this can be a step in the right direction!”
In addition to the Instagram post, Halsey announced the album release with a gorgeous video shot at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. During the video, she walks barefoot through the museum, clothed in a robe that shows off her baby bump, stopping intermittently to look at various depictions of the Madonna and child.
In the final scene, Halsey unveils an image as if it were another painting on display, which turns out to be the cover art for her album, thus positioning herself among the mothers displayed in the museum.
Halsey announced her pregnancy in January, tagging her boyfriend and the father of her child, screenwriter Alev Aydin. The carousel of photos highlighted her small but noticeable baby bump. She also shared the news on Twitter with the caption, “my rainbow?,” referencing her fertility struggles and previous miscarriages.
Halsey’s exact due date isn’t known just yet, but given the timing of her pregnancy announcement, she could potentially give birth any day now, if she hasn’t already. As for her new album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, we know that it will be released on August 27th. Check out the unveiling video below.
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