Halsey revealed the symbolic cover art for her new album on Wednesday, with an unveiling at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The cover of If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power features Halsey posed in the style of historical paintings, sitting on a golden throne with a baby on her lap and one of her breasts exposed. Halsey explains the significance of the portrait in a post on social media.
“This album is a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth,” the singer, who’s expecting her first child, writes. “It was very important to me that the cover art conveyed the sentiment of my journey over the past few months. The dichotomy of the Madonna and the Whore.”
She continues, “The idea that me as a sexual being and my body as a vessel and gift to my child are two concepts that can co-exist peacefully and powerfully. My body has belonged to the world in many different ways the past few years, and this image is my means of reclaiming my autonomy and establishing my pride and strength as a life force for my human being.”
Halsey adds that the cover image “celebrates pregnant and postpartum bodies as something beautiful, to be admired.”
She concludes, “We have a long way to go with eradicating the social stigma around bodies & breastfeeding. I hope this can be a step in the right direction!”
Halsey also revealed the release date for the album, which was produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of the rock band Nine Inch Nails. If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power comes out August 27.
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