I Experienced Ego Death at the Hayley Williams Show
a masterclass in connecting with your fans
by Jules Marie
The Hayley Williams solo tour was a long time in the making. After the 2020 Petals for Armor was abruptly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans were left wondering when Williams will ever tour solo again. It wasn’t until the Drop of Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party that hope was restored.
The rollout for the album itself was one of the most original that I have personally seen in a long time.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Photo by @farellasfotos
The whole project began when Williams, a longtime champion of local radio, debuted her lead single "Mirtazapine" via local Nashville radio station WNXP by dropping off a CD. The audio clip circulated on social media and thus the rollout was in effect. A new hair dye called “Ego” was released through her brand, Good Dye Young, and with that purchase fans were able to access 16 unreleased songs through a special code. The website itself included not only the music but featured merch concepts and journal pictures.
Less than two days after the songs were posted they were wiped from the website with a message saying “Hello, there. Thank you for listening.” Fans were living off of downloaded audio files until that Friday where Williams dropped all the singles on streaming services with original art for each song. But she wasn’t done yet!
Debuting two secret songs “Good Ol’ Days” and “Showbiz” at events before dropping them on streaming platforms. Williams also encouraged fans to create playlists of ideas for a track order for the official album until she finally dropped the full album on November 7th.
The entire rollout was interactive with fans in a way I haven’t seen from an artist in a long time. Keeping fans on their toes and having them personally interact with her on the shaping of the album itself.
As a lifelong Paramore and Hayley Williams fan the tour is exactly what you would expect from the consummate performer. Captivating stage presence, emotional connections with the audience and the vocal talent of a generation. I was able to attend night one and two of the Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party tour at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
Fans were lining up overnight with lines stretching across blocks just to get a chance to be near the barricade. The show’s openers, experimental rock band Water From Your Eyes, set the tone with infectious beats and lyrics resembling spoken-word poetry. Though having never listened to the band prior to the show, I found myself an instant fan. Make it stand out
Photo by @farellasfotos
The show opened up with Williams' voice distorted over the speakers with a glowing light talking about living in today’s society. Speaking about how the experience of ego death”helped patients wake up from a never ending nightmare” and “feeling like a human being” before immediately jumping into "Mirtazapine.” “Ice in My OJ” followed directly after where Williams took the opportunity to take a jab at world issues by stating “Fuck ICE” and “Free Palestine." Williams is not unknown for her political critiques as seen from her song “True Believer” which is a critique on Christian Nationalism and racism in the South.
The crowd was silent as they took in her messaging, staring at Williams’ in awe of her deep love of her home while critiquing what it has become over her lifetime.
The most emotional moment of night two was during the performance of “Love Me Different” where fans gave a standing ovation of Williams’ during the song as they sang along with her. In her expression alone, you can tell she felt the love and support from her fans in the room and the adoration was palpable.
Photo by @farellasfotos
Thunderous applause filled the entire room as Hayley stood center stage taking it all in with a bright smile on her face as the crowd chanted her name. She takes a moment for the audience to take a deep sigh together “taking in all the love that wasn’t enough” and when breathing out “make space for the kind that you deserve.”
I couldn’t help the tears in my eyes as the collective room released that energy together before dancing along to the end of the song. It has been said that being at a Paramore or a Hayley Williams show is like going to church. I have been to many concerts in my lifetime but there is a particular way that Williams is able to connect with her audience that brings not only them closer to her but also with each other.
Photos by @farellasfotos
The show included special guests for each night during the encore for the song “Parachute.” Night one was Toby Morse from the punk rock band H2O and night two had Nina Ljeti from the band Kills Birds. Night two also included artists Claud and Annie DiRusso to join her for “Good Ol’ Days.” My favorite moment of the encore was during Parachute where Hayley gets down on her knees to sing directly face to face with her fans during the second verse.
The entire audience cried out with her the gut-wrenching personal lyrics of heartbreak and abandonment. The song and the tour itself serves as a catharsis for not only Hayley but for her fans as well. Williams invites her fans to share in her emotional release through her lyrics and by the end of the show you’re feeling the ego death that was promised at the start of the show.
A rebirth of yourself as you and Hayley sing together the themes of love, disappointment and change.
And for those who weren’t able to catch Hayley on this leg of her tour, she is not done yet! Williams is currently announcing an extension of her tour branded as the “Hayley Williams Show” with future shows in Brazil, New York, Los Angeles and at All Things Go Festival in Maryland with seemingly more to come.
In an interview with ALT 98.7, Hayley confirms that she will be performing songs from all of her solo albums and other projects she’s been a part of. I don’t know about you, but I will be entering the ticket war for her second leg of her tour to experience the magic all over again.