Hayley Williams‘ new solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, serves up layers of tender introspection and vulnerable truth-telling with Williams’ typical prowess. The title track also features a bit of commentary on Nashville culture. Specifically one “racist country singer.”
Williams—an alt-Nashville staple after growing up and forming Paramore in Franklin, Tennessee—recently spoke to the New York Times about the album. Of course, this particular diss from “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” was a big topic of conversation.
On the track she sings about being “the biggest star / At this racist country singer’s bar.” Now, considering the state of Broadway, that could be a lot of places. Hayley Williams even expressed this when asked to name names.
“It could be a couple,” she admitted, adding “but I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen, I don’t give a shit.”
Notoriously, Morgan Wallen opened a bar in downtown Nashville on June 1, 2024, after the process was repeatedly stonewalled by Nashville city council. Wallen was denied a huge sign out front of the bar in May 2024, but the addition was eventually approved in December. Throughout the process, there were numerous complaints, boycotts, and think-pieces about the decision to allow Morgan Wallen to open a bar considering his often controversial behavior.
Hayley Williams Disses Morgan Wallen and Doesn’t “Give A Shit” If He Knows
Additionally, Hayley Williams had fighting words for Morgan Wallen. She dared him, in no uncertain terms, to “meet me at Whole Foods, bitch—I don’t care.”
Previously, Williams spoke with Stereogum about the title track. In the Instagram video, she was asked to name her favorite country singer-owned establishment in Nashville. After a crucial pause, she replied, “Oh no, there’s not—there’s no good ones.”
She continued, “Hard pass to all of them. They all have terrible names too. When you open a business you don’t just put your name on it, you come up with something, right? … I don’t understand the bars that are just people’s names. So I don’t have a favorite but I do have beef with all of them.”
When asked for her least favorite, Williams barely hesitated before answering “Morgan Wallen’s.” For fun, she also added that she and a friend often talk about opening their own spot. She said they’ve named it Scissors, but figured it probably wouldn’t happen for real.
Now, if anyone needs me I’ll be heading down to the Broadway Whole Foods to referee the WWE SmackDown between Hayley Williams and Morgan Wallen. Everyone get your bets in now, all proceeds go to funding Scissors.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
The post Hayley Williams Has Beef With Morgan Wallen and She Doesn’t Care Who Knows appeared first on VICE.
