Halsey’s song “Colors” was released in 2015 as the lead single from her debut studio album Badlands. The stripped version featured on the album removes some of the production elements, putting more focus on Halsey’s raw vocal performance. In this stripped-down form, the poetic lyrics and emotional delivery take center stage, allowing listeners to connect more deeply with the song’s complex meaning.
At its core, “Colors” is about the tumultuous experience of falling in love and the intermingling of joy and pain that comes with fully opening yourself to another person. Halsey has described it as a “really unfortunate love song about the naive passion of young love.” While everyone can relate to these universal themes, Halsey’s own personal experiences also clearly influence the lyrical narrative.
Exploring Key Lyrics
Let’s dive deeper into some of the standout lyrics to unpack the multifaceted meaning behind this captivating song:
“Your little brother never tells you but he loves you so”
This line seems to reference Halsey’s own younger brother, who she has a close relationship with. It reflects the complex dynamic between siblings, where feelings of affection often remain unspoken.
“You said your mother only smiled on her tv show”
This lyric points to the idea of hidden pain behind the facade of celebrity and life in the public eye. Halsey’s own career was taking off around the time she wrote this song.
“You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise”
Using vivid poetic imagery, this line conveys the feeling of being emotionally overwhelmed and flooded by the intensity of new love. The sunrise represents the promise and potential while “saturated” indicates it may be too much to bear.
“You never by the rainbows in my mind”
The rainbow is a symbol of hope, joy and promise. This lyric seems to mean the object of her affection is unaware of, or disconnected from, the depth of her feelings and dreams about their relationship.
“Loving him was red”
Red is typically associated with the passion and excitement of new love but also danger, blood, and pain. This line perfectly encapsulates the thrill and anguish of giving yourself completely over to another person.
Thematic Analysis
Stepping back and looking at the broader themes, “Colors” explores the exhilaration of young love and the pain that often accompanies fully opening your heart to another person. Halsey has described it as being “about the gray area between love and lust.” Let’s examine some of the key themes:
Vulnerability
By stripping away all pretense and protective walls, falling headfirst into love leaves you totally exposed and vulnerable. Halsey lays her deepest hopes, dreams and insecurities bare.
Euphoria and Agony
The lyric “loving him was red” encapsulates the song’s central theme of the ecstasy and torture of passion. Red represents the thrill and lifeforce of love as well as the danger, pain and chaos.
Innocence and Experience
There is a wistful nostalgia for the innocence and naivety of youth contrasted with the hard-won wisdom and scars that come with lived experience and loss. Halsey seems to mourn the inability to ever love again with such abandon.
Duality
Throughout the song, Halsey explores the contradictions and paradoxes of love – beautiful but brutal, full of hope yet heartbreaking. Love is multifaceted and complex.
Longing and Regret
Beneath the surface, there is a profound sadness and a sense of regret over mistakes made, opportunities lost and the impermanence of this youthful passion.
Visual Analysis
The stripped-back music video perfectly complements the raw, emotional nature of the song. Let’s analyze some key visual elements:
Black and White Cinematography
Lacking color, the video has a melancholy, nostalgic quality. The monochrome palette matches the lyrical themes of innocence lost and the complexity of love.
Water Imagery
Underwater shots of Halsey floating motionless evoke a sense of being drowned, overwhelmed and inescapably immersed in love. This connects back to lyrics like “dripping like a saturated sunrise.”
Nature Settings
Scenes in the forest and underwater have an ethereal quality. Nature symbolizes the primal, uncontrollable force of love. Halsey looks small and vulnerable against these environments.
Facial Expressions
Close-ups on Halsey’s face as she sings relay a gamut of emotions – ecstasy, despair, regret, anguish. Her eyes, in particular, convey great longing and pain.
Fetal Position
Shots of Halsey naked in a tub curled up in a fetal position represent feeling totally exposed, vulnerable and childlike in the face of overpowering love.
Personal Connections
As an autobiographical songwriter, Halsey’s own life experiences fundamentally inform the meaning behind “Colors.” She has opened up about some key connections:
Toxic Relationship
Halsey has indicated the song captures an impassioned but destructive relationship from her late teens/early twenties that left lasting scars.
Sexuality
The lyrical object of affection is intentionally ambiguous regarding gender. This ties to Halsey being an out and proud member of the LGBTQ community.
Family
As mentioned, her younger brother inspired the lyric about a sibling’s unspoken love. Halsey cherishes her family.
Rising Fame
Around the time she penned the song, Halsey was rapidly gaining notoriety. Lyrics seem to allude to this challenging transition.
Raw Personal Expression
Halsey has emphasized the song was her way of honestly communicating her experiences and emotions at a formative point in her life and career.
Conclusion
In the stripped-down version of “Colors,” Halsey’s masterful lyricism and vocal delivery allow the song’s themes to fully resonate. While stemming from her own personal experiences, the universal themes create space for listeners’ own interpretations. At its heart, “Colors” explores the exhilarating highs and crushing lows of passionate love and the unavoidable vulnerability that comes with fully opening your heart. Through poetic lyrics delivered with raw emotion, Halsey captures the messiness, contradictions, beauty and tragedy that color the human experience of falling in love.
| Album | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Badlands | August 28, 2015 |
