After Online Backlash, Fantano Defends ‘Impersonator’ Review

Anthony Fantano has taken a firm stance regarding the recent backlash over his album review—one that directly counters pop singer Halsey’s online tirades, where she labeled the music critic a “raised-by-4chan edgelord bully”.

Rather than backing down, the host of “The Needle Drop” now says his harsh assessment of The Great Impersonator had nothing to do with misogyny or the artist's personal health struggles, but was entirely based on weak songwriting and poor execution of the inspirations she attempted to pull from.

The update came in an extensive phone interview on Monday, detailing his perspective on the nine-minute YouTube critique he originally posted on October 29, 2024. Fantano’s review of the cancer-battle-inspired album was undeniably brutal, accusing the tracks of giving off “stale, 2000s pop-rock vibes” that felt like “bad Halloween costumes” musically. He also stated the project exhibited “main-character syndrome,” ultimately resulting in a rare 1 out of 10 score.

Following the review, Halsey took to Twitter on Sunday evening to unload on the content creator, claiming her least memorable song would outlive his entire life's work.

The singer’s accusations prompted the critic to clarify his position, emphasizing that he is not "the devil himself" and has championed countless female artists over the years. Furthermore, Fantano highlighted his history of defending female musicians, noting he has withstood harassment from toxic fandoms for supporting artists like Doechii and Megan Thee Stallion against misogynistic attacks.

Despite the online drama, Fantano maintains that his political and personal alignment is far from the caricature Halsey painted. He pointed out that while he occasionally engaged in satirical, edgy internet humor in the early 2010s on his now-deleted thatistheplan channel, he considers himself a leftist. He also noted he has never made a joke as insensitive as Halsey’s accidental 9/11 tweet directed at Pitchfork's One World Trade Center office in 2020.

“I don’t have to prove my track record to Halsey,” Fantano stated, pushing back against the narrative that his legacy is irrelevant. “I have been the most relevant and impactful music critic of my — and any — generation for over 10 years now. You can’t really debate that. There’s no music critic bigger than me who’s had more impact than me for as long as I have, consistently".