The unreleased track is the second song Halsey has shared since dropping their most recent album, The Great Impersonator, in October
No two nights of Halsey‘s wondrous For My Last Trick Tour have been the same. Since the live run began in May, the musician has switched up the setlist with surprise songs in every city. Some cities got two songs, while others received three and sometimes four. Some welcomed special guests, like Amy Lee and Lauren Jauregui. But for their latest trick, Halsey premiered the currently unreleased song “Carry the Weight” in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 24.
The pop-rock record is driven by propulsive guitars as Halsey sheds the weight of the past. “I never know when to quit it/I’ll tear it all to the ground and accept my defeat/You won’t decide when it’s finished/No you don’t get to take that from me,” they sing. “I could run away if I want to/I’m not gonna stay but I want you to know/ I’ve been okay since I lost you/You just made a mistake and I want you to go/Just give me a break, how much more can I take?/This heavy feeling’s got me feeling we got carried away/I don’t wanna carry the weight.”
Fans have pointed out lyrical parallels to the Manic opening track “Ashley,” on which Halsey sings: “Apart from my beating heart/It’s a muscle, but it’s still not strong enough to carry the/Weight of the choices I’ve made.”
“Carry the Weight” is the second new song Halsey has premiered since releasing their most recent album, The Great Impersonator, in October. The first, the blaring punk rock record “Safeword,” arrived in February with a decidedly NSFW video. Both songs lean into the themes of perceptual distortion that Halsey explored across the album.
“Go tell your friends that I’m different/Dress up the story with lies and I’ll bet they’ll agree, because you’re always the victim/No, I don’t care how you describe me,” they sing on “Carry the Weight.” “It’s always your world we live in/All your delusion and fantasy setting the scene/And by the time you’re forgiven, no you won’t even recognize me.”
The For My Last Trick Tour will continue in Ridgefield, Washington, on June 26, after which Halsey will have three shows remaining — but plenty more tricks.
