Paramore’s vocalist Hayley Williams delivered a powerful message aimed at “racists,” “sexists,” and anti-trans fans in a recent feature.
The singer discussed her journey with Paramore and her solo career in a newly-published interview with CLASH. While talking about her third solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (2025), Williams expressed her appreciation for having a platform to engage in social and political discussions.
She then addressed her views on fans who hold discriminatory beliefs.
“It’s so important that people feel welcome to the party. I’ve always said, all are welcome at our shows. But I don’t want racists around, I don’t want sexist people around, and I don’t want people there who think that trans people are a burden. I think that’s a hard line for me now,” Williams asserted.
“I hope it naturally happens that people who do harbor those harmful ideologies aren’t going to feel welcome, because they’re going to walk in the door and realize that the gang’s all here, all banded together around something positive.”
What Has Hayley Williams Said About the Songs on Her New Album?
One of the songs from Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party that Williams elaborated on during the interview was “True Believer.” This track references Nashville — where the singer spent her formative years — and addresses issues such as gentrification, racism, religious fundamentalism, and other harmful social dynamics.
See the lyrics from one of the song’s verses below:
They put up chainlink fences underneath the biggest bridges
They pose in Christmas cards with guns as big as all their children
They say that Jesus is the way but then they gave him a white face
So they don’t have to pray to someone they deem lesser than them
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“I’ve wanted to write about this for so long and I’ve never known how to. And you can’t make it happen – it happened at the time it was supposed to,” Williams told CLASH of the song.
“Look, it’s amazing to have Southern pride. It’s a beautiful area of not only the country but the world. It’s so rich in culture and meaning, but we’re focusing on the wrong thing.”
Hayley Williams, ‘True Believer’
The vocalist revealed some details about another song from the album earlier this year — the title track. While speaking with The New York Times, she openly confirmed that the “racist country singer” referenced in the lyrics was Morgan Wallen, who was caught on video using a racial slur a few years ago.
“I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen. I don’t care,” she admitted.
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