Hopeless Fountain Kingdom

June 2, 2017 marked the arrival of Halsey's second studio album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, a project that immediately set itself apart by reimagining Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in a dystopian future. The narrative follows two lovers from warring factions known as the Angelus and Aureum families who struggle to find connection amidst chaos. This concept record serves as a direct companion piece to her 2015 debut Badlands, expanding the sonic world she built while introducing a darker, more theatrical atmosphere.

The standard edition features twelve tracks that blend synth-pop, R&B, and electropop with elements of hip hop and alternative soul. Production duties were split between Halsey herself and a team including Greg Kurstin, Benny Blanco, Ricky Reed, and Cashmere Cat. Guest appearances add texture to the story, with rapper Quavo appearing on "Sorry" and Little Mix's Lauren Jauregui lending vocals to "Lie." Behind the scenes, industry heavyweights like Sia and The Weeknd contributed writing credits without making physical appearances on the final cuts.

Commercially, the album achieved immediate success by debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200, marking Halsey's first chart-topping record. The lead singles drove significant streaming numbers; "Now or Never" peaked within the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100, while "Bad at Love" climbed to number five. As of June 2026, "Bad at Love" joined Spotify's Billions Club with over one billion streams. Critics generally praised the ambitious narrative scope and vocal performance, though some noted that the strict concept occasionally overshadowed raw emotion. [edit]