Bacchanalia Magazine

by Poppy Emery

Two weeks ago, on the 28th July, Paramore’s lead vocalist Hayley Williams blessed her fans with 17 unreleased singles, doing so in a rather unusual way… 

Instead of announcing an album the traditional way, Ego’s concept was first brought to us through a password-protected website – only available to those who had purchased her new hairdye – a fierce yellow to mimic the boldness of her music. Vibrant hair is very on-brand, and according to colour psychology, yellow is closely related to the ego and our sense of self-worth.

The website and its layout perfectly emulate the 2000s nostalgia that her fanbase are all too familiar with. The importance of physical media is outlined through its layout, something which is being pushed aside in today’s society. Embracing these nostalgic times becomes a recurring theme in her newest singles.

As a whole, this album offers an introspective glance into the weird and wonderful workings of Williams’ mind, each covering a different… . It immediately becomes clear why one would opt for 17 singles as opposed to a coherent album; each has its own unique style. ‘Mirtazapine’, a love letter (of sorts) addressed to an antidepressant, is most reminiscent of her old works. Likening the drug to a metaphorical ‘genie’, that she struggles to function without. Its ironically addictive guitar line would dominate the song entirely if it weren’t for the emotional richness and strength of her vocals. It’s both refreshing and comforting to hear an artist open up about such personal struggles, using the art of songwriting as a means of catharsis and being brave enough to share it with the world.

Another stand-out single has to be ‘Ice in my OJ’, which interpolates Williams’ first recorded appearance, ‘Jumping Inside’ by Mammoth City Messengers, a Christian music group. Her contribution to this song is reimagined in ‘OJ’, a true throwback and playful commentary on the ways in which she faced exploitation from others as a child navigating the music industry. Having listened to this song more times than I’d like to confess, I can see this being a perfect opening song, if I were to order them.

‘Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party’ is another standout, brimming with nostalgia; its yearning hits close to home. The song, abbreviated to EDAABP, mourns the gradual loss of inclusive social spaces in her home city of Nashville. “Can only go up from here” is repeated countless times in this song, almost like a manifestation. The song as a whole feels hypnotic, trance-like. You can’t help but listen to its slowly ebbing beat. The repetition of this hopeful mantra makes it all feel possible, and the home-video feel of its music video makes one long for better days.

This is Hayey Williams’ first independent release, having broken from a major label, and the creative liberties truly hold testament to this: this is music with a purpose. She encourages listeners to curate their own version of ‘Ego’ instead of relying on a pre-contextualised tracklist. Overall, I would highly recommend giving this album a listen, in whatever order you desire.