Halsey Reveals NSFW Album Cover for Trent Reznor-Produced LP

The outspoken pop star frees the nipple in new album cover art.

Weeks after first announcing If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, Halsey revealed the new concept album’s bare-chested cover art. 

Halsey’s fourth album, produced by Nine Inch Nails legend Trent Reznor and his longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, already has a fascinating theme. The pop star and mother-to-be described the Renaissance-inspired cover art as a “dichotomy of Madonna and the Whore.”

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“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,” Halsey wrote on Instagram. An accompanying YouTube video features the Manic artist walking through New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

“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.”

She also revealed the reasoning behind her decision to #freethenipple for If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, due out on August 27.  

“This cover image celebrates pregnant and postpartum bodies as something beautiful, to be admired. 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!”

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USA Today reports that Halsey first revealed in January that she was pregnant with her boyfriend, screenwriter Alev Aydin. 

“Surprise!” she wrote, alongside emojis of a bottle, a baby angel, and rainbow . She’s been chronicling her baby’s growth on Instagram since.