Half Written Story by Hailee Steinfeld

If the name "Hailee Steinfeld" sounds familiar, that's because it probably is. Whether you know it or not, I'm sure this 24-year-old actress has crossed your screen in one movie or another. Her skill range hits everywhere from Pitch Perfect to Bumblebee and even includes some voice acting, as shown in Into the Spiderverse. Steinfeld started out strong with her first box office movie - True Grit - earning her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at only 14, and over the years she has branched out to other industries such as TV shows (i.e. Dickinson) and music.

Later in life, Steinfeld started off her music career just as strong as her acting career when her first single - "Love Myself" - went double platinum, and ever since this song's release in 2015 she has remained just as successful. One album that has gained particular praise, though, is one of her EP's: Half Written Story. This EP by actress/popstar Hailee Steinfeld is one that I hold very close to my heart. It has not only helped me through a damaging breakup, making me feel like every word was written exactly for the situation I was in at the time, but it also helped me improve my self-confidence and learn my worth while simultaneously letting me know that I wasn't alone.

A unique way that Half Written Story differs from Steinfeld's other works is that whereas all previously released music by her was pop, this album explores different styles. The first two tracks are the explicit and clean versions of "I Love You's," which definitely became a fan-favorite song from the collection rather quickly, possibly due to the fact that it was also released as a single. It's about recovering from a breakup, putting the feeling of being in those middle stages of healing into words; the stages of being over the relationship, yet not quite ready for another one. And if this song rings a bell, that's most likely because it was heavily inspired by Annie Lennox's "No More 'I Love You's,'" even using the same intro but just speeding it up a bit.

Along with the catchy melody of this song, there is also an extremely artistic music video done in all black-and-white. If you haven't seen it yet, I definitely recommend watching it here:

Moving on to the next song in this album, "Your Name Hurts" is about exactly what it sounds like it would be about: being left by a significant other and how even hearing that person's name now hurts. This is also the only song that incorporates the EP title - the first line is "We're a half written story without any ending" - signaling where the title most likely came from. Unlike most albums that adopt the title of one of the songs on it, there is no track on Half Written Story by that name.

Unlike "I Love You's" which starts out with music that feels almost optimistic, "Your Name Hurts" begins with a haunting melody. Everything about this song screams pain and that it was written from a scary place in the healing process, even going so far as to describe the situation as "horror at best."

The next track is another inspired work, this time referencing Nat Cole's "L.O.V.E." Now, knowing that, it might seem like this would be the most optimistic of all, but this is a breakup album, remember? The spin on this song is that it is called "End This (L.O.V.E.)" and it's about everything toxic relationships put people through. For every letter that Cole gave a positive meaning to, Steinfeld gives a negative meaning to. And, just like the switching of moods/styles between "I Love You's" and "Your Name Hurts," this song could easily be classified as R&B.

"Man Up" is probably the song that stands out the most in this collection as Steinfeld takes on rapping, making this song fall under hip-hop. It's a confident diss track about knowing your self-worth and what you deserve, while also telling the abuser in the relationship to, well, "Man Up" and admit their wrongdoings. This song is great for the anger phase of a breakup, although it's one of those songs that you either love or you hate. Personally, I think it's one of Steinfeld's best (and catchiest) works.

Finishing up the EP is another general favorite by Steinfans: "Wrong Direction." Like "I Love You's," "Wrong Direction" was initially released as a single, and in contrast to it being the last song on the album, it was the first song to be released to the public. This song is a very beautiful, very emotional ballad coming from the peak of breakup pain; when you're crying for days unable to get out of bed, this is the one to listen to. It's about falling for someone who you thought was someone else - "falling in the wrong direction" - and in my case, it was like this song was written specifically for me for what I was going through. Every line in this tear-jerking song holds meaning deeper than surface level, and it is truly a musical masterpiece. And, also like "I Love You's," there is a music video for "Wrong Direction" that you can view here:

In conclusion, Half Written Story is an impressive collection of songs that explores multiple genres, each written at a different point of going through a breakup. Each song also has an official lyric video posted to YouTube that features the torn-and-sewn-back-together doll on the album artwork that represents Steinfeld herself. But the most unique part about this album is that the title not only describes the lost relationship, but the album itself. Half Written Story is a half finished story, and after the EP hit one year on May 8, it is suspected that the long-anticipated second half will be released sometime this summer, so keep your eyes peeled for that.