The excellent Death at Bachelorette Party was released in early August as a digital download with 17 tracks; Now officially arrives as an album
Hayley Williams has always been bold – from hair dyed in vibrant colors to the fearless posture as vocalist of Paramore. And when it comes to music, this courage remains. Throughout the band’s discography and their first two solo albums – PETALS FOR ARMOR (2020) and Flowers for Vases / Restons (2021) – The singer always surrendered completely, dropping her voice and exposing brutally honest letters. But never Hayley sounded as brave as in his third album, Ego death at the bachelorette party.
“I’m going to be the biggest star of this damn karaoke,” he says on the title track of dark atmosphere. The chorus repeats a single verse several times – “you can only go up here” – while Williams He leaves the dream of reaching the moon and is content with a more modest version of fame. Ironically, a song about “Death of the Ego” becomes one of the highlights of the artist’s strongest solo work so far. In Ego death at the bachelorette party, Hayley It goes far beyond the stars – and you know that.
The album-which includes the title track and 16 songs-was released by surprise in early August, after Hayley Available the collection on the site itself through a retro web player. Despite having a full LP duration, the project was not initially promoted as an album (even if clearly it was). But now, with a properly long and emo title, as well as an official tracklist, EGO DEATH finally presents itself as a cohesive work.
Defining the order of the tracks was an essential part of the process. Just after Hayley Going up the 17 singles for streaming platforms days after the web player, fans began creating their own playlists with custom sequences. A more dedicated fan – a true Haleyhead – He even compiled all these alternative tracklists on a site. The experience, as well as the initial launch, referred to the early 2000s, to downloads in the Limewire and the dedication involved in the creation of mixtapes on CDs and cassette tapes. Second Hayleythe idea was to transfer part of the “creative responsibility” to the fans and get inspired by the way they would receive the song. But, listening EGO DEATHit is clear that this unconventional release was intentional. Each sincere letter and each transition between tracks show how Hayley He crossed a deep process of loss and mourning to emerge with a renewed version of herself.
Besides organizing the tracklist and officially baptizing the album, Hayley It also included an unprecedented song: “Parachute“. It’s a cathartic scream, loaded with regret, with its strongest impact on the second verse:” You were in my wedding … You could have told me not to do that, “she shouts. This emotional wound repeats herself along the album. Vocal recording is raw and intense; Hayley Force the voice to the limit, turning each word into a torn cry. It is such a visceral record that it makes the famous lamentation of “All I Wanted”, From Paramoresound discreet compared.
The album brings several other songs about lost loves, such as the ethereal “Dream Girl in Shibuya”, Inspired by Encounters and mismatches (2003), and the fun “Disappearing man”, With a touch Weezer. Even so, “Parachute”Sintetizes like few tracks the dimension of pain that crosses the album – especially by ending the LP, right after the delicate“I WON’T QUIT ON YOU”, Moment of hope in which Hayley promises not to give up a relationship. In “Parachute”This hope falls. Even so, songs like“Whim”And“LOVE ME DIFFERENTThey reveal an artist who is not afraid to open the bars of his chest and expose a heart full of love, even if marked by pain.
Despite the emotional weight, the album also brings flashes of optimism. Between melancholy tracks, there are small cracks of light – as if the sun entered the blinds and Hayley desperately seek to feel his heat again. This duality is evident even on the cover: a black and white photo, closed on the singer’s face, with a yellow square around her face, same aesthetic used in the singles. Even in the saddest songs, such as the meditative “Glum”Or ode to the antidepressant“MIRTZAPINE”, Hayley He opposes dark verses – “on the wake of his sun, I never felt so melancholy” – vibrant beats and intense guitars.
With 17 tracks, EGO DEATH it may seem like an extensive disk, but there is a reason for that: this is the first work that Hayley Launches with full creative control. Who could blame her for wanting to make the most of it? In 2024, the controversial contract of more than a decade with the Atlantic Recordsand this freedom is a watershed. In the track “Ice in My Oj“, With trip-hop footprint, she fires against the” sons of bitch donkeys that I left rich. “And even with the long duration, no music sounds unnecessary: each carries a purpose, composing a unique sound mosaic. Hayley Tweezers influences from different eras and styles, leaving small taxes throughout the album – such as the French band Phoenix in “LOVE ME DIFFERENT”, The chorus of the irreverent BLOODHOUND GANG in “Discovery ChannelAnd even a wink for “Waterfalls”, From TLCin the title track. The result is a musical kaleidoscope that reflects the singer’s eclectic taste.
Another remarkable point of EGO DEATH It is its most robust and percussive sound compared to previous albums. The producer Daniel Jameswho had already worked in Flowers for Vasesreturns alongside Brian Robert Jones and Joey Howardmusicians from the tour of Paramoreand Jim-e stackcollaborator of Lordthat signs the vibrant “True Believer”. Each track is pulsating, either by plunging into Synth-Pop or alternative rock. PETALS FOR ARMOR had a minimalist production and Flowers It explored more intimate dissonances, here music breathes, explodes and sounds ready for great stages.
If the first two soil records were a water test, EGO DEATH It is a deep dive. Never Hayley He sounded so confident, free and powerful. Yes, there is a kind of death here – the farewell of ancient parts of itself – but, above all, the album sounds like a baptism. Hayley Williams It is reborn from these 17 tracks with unprecedented clarity, ready for a new chapter, where the possibilities are endless.
+++ Read more: the first song that made Hayley Williams (Paramore) cry
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
