Hayley Williams has officially released her new album ‘Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party’, alongside an additional track ‘Parachute’. Listen below.
- READ MORE: Hayley Williams’ surprise 17-song release is a bold choose-your-own-adventure through hope and heartache
Last month, the Paramore frontwoman first previewed 17 songs on her website for a limited time, as a surprise project named ‘Ego’. Later, she released all the tracks on streaming platforms as individual singles and last week she shared a music video for ‘Glum’.
Today (August 28), she’s officially released the album, titled ‘Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party’, alongside an additional 18th track ‘Parachute’, which she premiered on BBC Radio 1 this evening.
Beginning as a pensive, piano-driven track, ‘Parachute’ quickly unfolds into a cathartic rock anthem, with Williams singing: “I thought you were gonna catch me/I never stopped falling for you/Now I know better, never let me/Leave home without a parachute.” Listen below.
The physical album will be officially released on November 7, and is now available for pre-order here. It will be available in black and “Zissou Clear-Wave” vinyl as well as six additional colours (Highlighter Yellow, Marble Yellow, Orange Juice Splash, Crystal Clear, Grayscale Metallic Silver and Poolwater Wave).
The release marks Williams’ first new music since she became an independent artist when her record deal with Warner/Atlantic ended.
Since she first shared it online, fans began constructing and sharing their own preferred tracklist order, which, according to a press release, Williams was “inspired by” when finalising the one on the album.
The ‘Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party’ tracklist is:
1. ‘Ice In My OJ’
2. ‘Glum’
3. ‘Kill Me’
4. ‘Whim’
5. ‘Mirtazapine’
6. ‘Disappearing Man’
7. ‘Love Me Different’
8. ‘Brotherly Hate’
9. ‘Negative Self Talk’
10. ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’
11. ‘Hard’
12. ‘Discovery Channel’
13. ‘True Believer’
14. ‘Zissou’
15. ‘Dream Girl In Shibuya’
16. ‘Blood Bros’
17. ‘I Won’t Quit On You’
18. ‘Parachute’
The project has sparked fears of a Paramore split among fans. Laced throughout the project are cryptic lyrics hinting at a potential breakup between her and Paramore guitarist Taylor York, who she confirmed she was dating in 2022. It’s worth noting that neither York or Williams has addressed rumours of a split.
It’s not the first time Williams has released solo music in a way that departs from the usual album rollout timeline. Her previous solo album, ‘Flowers for Vases / descansos’, was released in February 2021 with only a day’s notice.
NME gave Williams a glowing five-star review for the 17-song collection, which read: “As with almost every era of Hayley Williams’ career, this new release has come with questions about the future of Paramore. The determined lyrics on the tender ‘I Won’t Quit On You’ should be all the reassurance worried fans need, but if that’s not enough, there’s plenty in this brilliant, swaggering new chapter to be excited about. These songs might be about missed second chances, but Williams is certainly making the most of hers.”
In other news, Williams recently teamed up with David Byrne for a new song written for the latest adaptation of The Twits.