By Arianna Dillon
Hayley Williams, the beloved lead singer of Paramore, has surprise-dropped her third solo album—kind of. She released it initially as 17 MP3 files from a secret website, accessible by buying her newest hair dye shade “Ego” from her brand Good Dye Young. We later got the album on August 28, consolidating these songs into one work: Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. This new release is an alt pop/rock album that sort of makes you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster through Hayley’s mind. Lyrically, Williams explores different themes throughout the album, giving us a glimpse of her struggles with depression, her relationships, and the deep cuts of Paramore’s internal conflicts.
In her solo works, Williams does a very good job of separating her sound from Paramore’s, establishing herself as her own artist and not just an extension of Paramore. Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party finds Hayley Williams taking a different direction from her first two albums, 2020’s Petals for Armor and 2021’s Flowers for Vases / Descansos, which had more soft pop and indie folk vibes, respectively. The album has a variety of different sounds, from the confident, high-energy opener “Ice In My OJ” to the slower, more acoustic guitar sounds we hear in “Discovery Channel.”
Hayley Williams has always been open about her struggles with her mental health, and she dives deeper into those topics on tracks like “Mirtazapine” and “Negative Self Talk.” In the fifth track “Mirtazapine,” a rock sound more similar to her roots, she goes into her personal relationship with the antidepressant Mirtazapine. She personifies the drug, speaking directly to it: “Who am I without you now?” and emphasizes the sort of symbiotic dependence she is forced to have on “her” in order to live a somewhat normal life. Track nine “Negative Self Talk” gives us a more slow, sort of groovy sound. Williams describes her relationship with herself and her own head and her frustrating battle with the thoughts that she hears about herself when she’s alone. This track is deep, and, no doubt, a song that many can relate to.
Moving down, we get one of my favorite tracks, “Love Me Different.” This song features an upbeat carefree sound with sad lyrics—very reminiscent of Paramore’s 2017 album After Laughter. Much to the disappointment of fans (including myself), the lyrical content points to a breakup between Hayley Williams and longtime Paramore bandmate, friend, and later boyfriend Taylor York. But, regardless of whether this song is about a “Tayley” breakup, it’s still such a great track, showing Hayley’s coming to terms with the end of her relationship and making peace with that. This emotional window into her relationship with Taylor is opened again in other tracks, like “Good ‘Ol Days” and “Parachute.” “Good ‘Ol Days,” another one of my personal favorites, is a more cheerful sounding R&B style song, going into more nostalgic feelings towards the relationship and the times they had together, while Parachute is another rock-leaning track; it reveals trauma, it shows anger at her previous marriage and her mourning the time she wasted, angry that the song’s subject didn’t stop her from entering a doomed marriage.
Track eight, “Brotherly Hate,” is another that fans speculate to be Paramore related—specifically the drama with current drummer Zac Farro and his brother, former Paramore guitarist Josh Farro from back in 2010. The song features unique vocals and a sort of whimsical sound; a bouncy melody that makes you feel like you’re in Hayley Williams’ musical circus of ancient Paramore lore. Throughout Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Hayley does an incredible job matching not only the lyrics, but the actual sound of the songs to her emotions, creating a depth that allows listeners to read between the musical lines. She explores her emotions and past experiences with Paramore in a mature and honest way that shows not being stuck in the past, but reflecting on it and making her peace with it. This is a standout album in her solo discography, and it is without a doubt one of my top five albums of 2025.
Throughout Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Hayley does an incredible job matching not only the lyrics, but the actual sound of the songs to her emotions, creating a depth that allows listeners to read between the musical lines. She explores her emotions and past experiences with Paramore in a mature and honest way that shows not being stuck in the past, but reflecting on it and making her peace with it. This is a standout album in her solo discography, and it is without a doubt one of my top five albums of 2025.