By Danica Ward
Staff Writer
Let me guess. You were most likely on Instagram at one point or another on Aug. 1. But if you weren’t already aware, this day was pretty exciting for Hayley Williams and her fans. Williams, known for being the red-headed, vocal extraordinaire frontwoman for alternative rock band Paramore, released 17 singles on this day, surprising fans everywhere.
Williams asked her fans to make playlists of how they would order the songs if they were put into an album tracklist. The number of opinions was overwhelming, but eventually helpful. On Aug. 28, the album “Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party” was released, which is also the title of the tenth track on the LP.
“Ego Death” is Williams’ first album release since 2021’s “FLOWERS for VASES/descansos.” Along with the original 17 tracks, an extra was added on the final release, titled “Parachute.” Genres shift vastly across the tracklist, with some acting like garage rock, sad pop and others containing autotune or drum machines. Overall, this is a giant departure from her work with Paramore.
In a way, this work shows Williams’ growth and maturity as an artist. She began Paramore at 15 years old, and now that she’s 36, she takes the time to reflect. From love and relationships to grief, self-image, the music industry and finally racism in America, Williams covers it all.
“Ice In My OJ” is a great starter to the album. It acts as a moody opener, switching from soft and sassy to periodic screaming. While she sings about the butterfly-like feelings in a new relationship, she also screams, “I’m in a band!” The juxtaposition between the vulnerability of love (“Got me jumpin’ inside / Thinking about you”), to the cynicality of the music industry (“I got ice in my OJ / I’m a cold, hard b—- / Lotta dumb mother—---- that I made rich,”) is very interesting, because it immediately adds a layer of complexity to the album.
Songs like “Kill Me” and “Discovery Channel” also stick out. “Kill Me” details the plight of being an eldest daughter, which is, at least for me, relatable. The song starts with “Eldest daughters never miss their chances / To learn the hardest lessons again and again / Carrying my mother’s mother’s torment / I think I’m where the bloodline ends.”
These lines cut deep. Could they be about family dynamics or the decision to become a mother? Definitely. But they also just reflect on the journey through life that an eldest daughter faces.
On “Discovery Channel,” Williams samples the chorus from The Bloodhound Gang’s 1999 hit, “The Bad Touch.” According to the lyrics, the song seems partly about a romantic relationship, but it also hits at the dynamics of Paramore. She sings, “Twenty-something years ago we started / Playing a little game, and now we’re all / Gonna sit down and we’re gonna finish it…” With recent news that Paramore is taking a bit of a break, these lyrics make a lot of sense.
Although my favorite song off the album is “Mirtazapine,” a power pop rock song about Williams’ beloved antidepressant, it is hard to discount “True Believer” as one of the most meaningful off the LP. It is a haunting ballad, with a soft melody being employed in order to highlight the chilling lyrics.
Williams is from Meridian, Miss., way deep in the American South. On “True Believer,” Williams chastises the South and its systemically racist ways, with the lyrics, “They say that Jesus is the way, but then they gave him a white face / So they don’t have to pray to someone they deem lesser than them.”
The song also makes references to Billie Holliday’s 1939 protest anthem “Strange Fruit,” and the idea that “the south will not rise again.” Safe to say, I had to take a minute to think about what I just heard. Williams does not hold back.
Last, but not least, is track 10, the titular “Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party.” Nashville, Tenn., the place where Williams met future bandmates Josh and Zac Farro and eventually formed Paramore, is an iconic location for this song.
The music video takes place throughout Nashville’s downtown streets, and Williams gives a death stare straight at country star Morgan Wallen. Wallen has his own self-titled bar in Music City and has also been in the news for his racist verbiage. Williams has confirmed this reference, as the first line in the track is “I’ll be the biggest star / At this racist country singer’s bar.”
Williams’ lyrics continue to amaze, and she really covers all the bases — both topically and sonically. Though some of the songs on the album sound like a Phoebe Bridgers/Fiona Apple hybrid, Williams continues to prove that she will always be the biggest star, wherever she goes.
