Halsey has dropped a stunning new video featuring Lauren Jauregui for their song ‘Strangers’. It is the latest instalment of her complex music video series that accompany her 2017 concept album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. Each visual element of the album has clearly been meticulously planned, and it’s a beautiful and intricate story to watch.

The Story

The album is themed after Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo and Juliet. According to Halsey, “the album, and every video, is one continuous gender flipped Romeo and Juliet story. Luna is Romeo and Solis is Juliet. Rosaline (Rosa) is the woman Romeo is in love with before Juliet, but he cannot have her”.

In simple terms, Halsey’s character Luna is bisexual; she was in love with a woman (Rosa) before meeting Solis, but the relationship was forbidden. She is now in love with Solis, which is still a forbidden love, but part of her still desires her first love.

Visual Imagery

The music videos features Luna (Halsey) and Rosa (Lauren Jauregui) fighting in a boxing ring. On the significance of the boxing ring, Halsey said:

The vid is a metaphor for a toxic relationship. You beat eachother down as u get weaker & more desperate ur shots get dirty & you fight cheap. You lose sight of what ur even fighting for. When someone finally wins, what have they really won? won a fight. lost the person you love

— h (@halsey) June 20, 2018

The complex world Halsey created her platinum selling album within was planned down to each individual element. The storyline parallels with the tale of Romeo and Juliet, pulling visual and thematic queues from the storyline, right down to the costumes originally featured in the 1996 film. The imagery featured in each video is stunning.

Watch ‘Strangers ft. Lauren Jauregui’ below:

The article was originally published on Don't Bore Us