Hopeless Fountain Kingdom
by Halsey
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. Rolling Stone
    Jun 7, 2017
    80
    Halsey shows off all her wild musical ambitions on Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, a bold second album that consolidates all the strengths of her 2015 debut Badlands.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jun 7, 2017
    80
    Hopeless Fountain Kingdom might be defiantly ambitious, but it’s surprisingly cohesive.
  3. Consequence
    Jun 7, 2017
    75
    Ultimately, she knows the pitfalls of dating more than one gender better than anyone in pop, and those moments of insight are when Hopeless Fountain Kingdom truly stands out from the pack, but it’s also reassuring that Halsey (who tags herself “alternative” rather than “pop”) conceives herself as an album artist first.
  5. AllMusic
    Jun 15, 2017
    70
    Hopeless Fountain Kingdom as a whole feels quintessentially 2017 in how it jumbles styles and sentiment, streamlining a teeming, contradictory culture into something smooth, glassy and easy to digest.
  6. Pitchfork
    Jun 7, 2017
    65
    On an album full of radio experiments, some succeed--“100 Letters,” “Walls Could Talk” and “Alone” demonstrate the perennially fertile sound of alt-pop--and some inevitably fail.
  7. The Line of Best Fit
    Jun 14, 2017
    60
    2017 has had better pop records surely, but hearing Halsey grow as an artist is a uniquely rewarding experience that makes the album’s faults more forgivable and its successes more thrilling.
  8. The Observer (UK)
    Jun 7, 2017
    60
    It’s not remotely bad; it certainly sounds just like one of the most hotly awaited pop albums of 2017. But you can discern, just off stage, the chorus of unignorable industry types bearing down on one bankable creative, advising this timely collaboration, that hot producer, this set of references.
  9. Spin
    Jun 7, 2017
    60
    For now, we’re left with a deeply imperfect and too-often derivative album that is not without its charms, but won’t exactly help form the connection with the average listener that Halsey long ago established with her core fanbase.
  10. The New York Times
    Jun 7, 2017
    50
    There isn’t a flicker of musical edge on this album, only a belief in the crowdsourcing of ideas. Where Halsey sets herself apart is in her subject matter and manner of delivery.
  11. PopMatters
    Jun 7, 2017
    40
    Where Badlands established Halsey as one of the more talented and dynamic artists of her generation, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom is both overambitious in theory and mundane in practice.

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Most Discussed Album of 2017

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 597 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 489 out of 597
  2. Mixed: 50 out of 597
  3. Negative: 58 out of 597
  1. joaoduarte
    Jun 7, 2017
    10
    Badlands was great, HFK is the best album in 2017 so far. every song marries each other and the story told im the album is beautiful. all theBadlands was great, HFK is the best album in 2017 so far. every song marries each other and the story told im the album is beautiful. all the tracks were well produced and so was the features.… Full Review »
  2. RK13
    Jun 7, 2017
    8
    Halsey keeps on producing great alternative music, however hopeless fountain kingdom just does not meet the standards of BADLANDS.Halsey keeps on producing great alternative music, however hopeless fountain kingdom just does not meet the standards of BADLANDS. Nevertheless BADLANDS was a very good album. Ashley, you've done yourself proud.… Full Review »
  3. Juniorsanctus
    Jun 7, 2017
    7
    Depois de roubar o conceito da Sky pro Badlands, Mc Halsinha consegue aqui, sozinha, entregar um álbum coeso, harmonioso e descente. É bom,Depois de roubar o conceito da Sky pro Badlands, Mc Halsinha consegue aqui, sozinha, entregar um álbum coeso, harmonioso e descente. É bom, mas só bom mesmo. Os feats poderiam se mais ambiciosos, mas estão na média. Meu namorado disse que a voz dela combina com a da Lauren.… Full Review »
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