Hailee Steinfeld is telling the other half of the story on her latest music project.
On Friday (May 8), Steinfeld unveiled her new EP, Half Written Story, an effort emotionally-charged with everything from broken-hearted ballads to sassy tell-offs to empowering love anthems. The project serves as just a taste of what’s to come of Steinfeld’s long-awaited debut album, slated to release later this year.
“This project is a collection of songs that are so special to me and I’m incredibly proud of,” the songbird said in a statement. “This is the first body of work I’ve put out since my debut project in 2016 and I can’t wait for everyone to hear these new songs.”
Steinfeld’s five-song extended play opens with the previously-released “I Love You’s,” a romantic, upbeat pop tune that samples Annie Lennox’s record, “No More I Love You’s.” From there, the Pitch Perfect 2 actress addresses post-breakup pains on the track “Your Name Hurts,” on which she sings, “We're a half-written story without any ending/ You left me to figure it out/ Filled me with ecstasy, left with the best of me/ But where's the rest of me now?”
The theme of disappointment and betrayal rest at the heart of “Man Up” and “End This (L.O.V.E.),” at which point the star finally seems ready to let go of her boyish beloved for good.
“Wrong Direction,” which culminates the EP, was speculated to be retelling her bittersweet love story with ex-boyfriend Niall Horan. On the track, Steinfeld sings, “Couldn't even see you through the smoke/ Lookin' back, I probably should have known/ But I just wanted to believe that you were out sleepin' alone.”
Listen to all five tracks from Half Written Story below.
Photo: Twitter/Hailee Steinfeld