In a move that has electrified fans across genres, rock legend Amy Lee of Evanescence and alt-pop powerhouse Halsey have officially announced their first full-length collaborative album, Embers Beneath the Dawn. The album is set for release this fall and has already sparked major buzz with the release of its first single, the soaring and cinematic “Paper Wings,” available on all major streaming platforms today.
The announcement came via both artists’ social media accounts, with coordinated visuals featuring dark celestial imagery and fiery motifs — themes that hint at the emotional and sonic intensity of the project. Embers Beneath the Dawn is described as a “genre-defiant exploration of rebirth, feminine rage, and spiritual resilience,” and it promises to blend the gothic rock power of Amy Lee with Halsey’s ethereal yet edgy pop sensibilities.
Fans have been speculating about a collaboration between the two since Halsey’s 2021 album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, which was heavily inspired by alternative and industrial rock influences. Lee’s admiration for Halsey has also been well documented in interviews over the years. With Embers Beneath the Dawn, the two artists are now fully merging their distinct voices and creative visions into something truly unique.
“Paper Wings,” the lead single, is a stirring anthem that combines cinematic strings, gritty guitars, and haunting piano with lyrics that evoke a powerful narrative of survival and self-transformation. The track builds to a thunderous climax as Lee and Halsey’s vocals weave together in harmony and catharsis. It’s a song about taking flight from the ashes — and it feels like the perfect prologue to the themes the album promises to explore.
Amy Lee, known for her evocative vocal range and emotional depth, called the project “the most creatively free experience I’ve had in years.” She added, “Working with Halsey has been like setting fire to the past and dancing in the embers. We weren’t afraid to go deep, dark, and raw — and ‘Paper Wings’ is just the beginning.”
Halsey, meanwhile, described the album as “a love letter to every girl who ever felt like she was too much.” On Instagram, she wrote, “This record is about clawing your way out of the dark with blood on your hands and beauty in your eyes. Amy was my hero when I was 13 — now she’s my sister in song.”
Embers Beneath the Dawn was recorded over the course of 18 months in studios across Nashville, Los Angeles, and Berlin. The production credits include Nine Inch Nails’ Atticus Ross, Evanescence guitarist Jen Majura, and Halsey’s longtime collaborator Lido, promising a genre-bending soundscape that ranges from orchestral ballads to gritty industrial beats.
Visually, the album will be accompanied by a short film, also titled Embers Beneath the Dawn, directed by Floria Sigismondi — known for her work with Marilyn Manson, Sigur Rós, and The Runaways. The film is set to premiere at select film festivals ahead of the album’s release, and is said to be a surrealistic journey through loss, rage, and rebirth, featuring both artists in leading roles.
The tracklist has yet to be revealed in full, but confirmed titles include “Valkyrie’s Lament,” “Crimson Mercy,” and “Drown Me in the Light.” The album will feature a few guest vocalists, with rumors swirling about potential appearances by Grimes and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes.
Music critics are already responding positively to “Paper Wings,” with Rolling Stone calling it “a blazing torch song for a new generation of outsiders” and Pitchfork noting its “impeccable blend of gothic drama and alt-pop hooks.” The song’s immediate impact on streaming platforms hints at strong commercial and critical potential for the full album.
A world tour in support of the album is also in the works, with an official announcement expected later this month. Fans can expect an immersive experience that blends visuals, narrative, and sound in a way that both artists are known for individually — and are now magnifying together.
With Embers Beneath the Dawn, Amy Lee and Halsey are not just releasing an album — they’re creating an emotional and sonic universe. It’s a bold, intimate, and defiant statement from two of music’s most compelling voices, and “Paper Wings” is the opening chapter of what promises to be a landmark moment in alt-rock and pop history.
