Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party: An Album Rollout for the People

In November, I had the pleasure of attending the listening party for Hayley Williams’ new album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, hosted by Boo Boo Records. This was the final installment of a series of events composing the album's rollout. At the event, the quiet anticipation from fans seemed apparent as people began to steadily arrive well before the listed start time. As the hour approached, the lights were dimmed, people lined up to grab their physical copies of the album on CD or vinyl, collect the tote bag and poster, and the album began playing. Everyone in the store quietly perused the bins while taking in the music, and the rain softly fell outside. Although there may not have been much direct interaction between everyone, events like these help to lay the groundwork for forming a strong community of like-minded individuals. As store manager, Malik Thorne, put it in our conversation before the event, “the first step in community is recognition.” Events like these mean that maybe you recognize a familiar face at the next show you go to and are able to start a conversation and really get to be a part of your community. This idea of community interaction and support is one that seemed to ring loud across the entirety of the album rollout.

Not many artists who have reached the same levels of notoriety and success as Hayley Williams continue to show their overall appreciation towards their fans. Williams has been open about the difficulty of having grown up largely in the limelight, but nevertheless, she has maintained great artistic integrity and shown much gratitude for her success. With her latest solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, Williams has chosen to make the release emblematic of the places that helped to form her as an artist and aid in her success across all her projects.

Jumping back to the beginning of the release schedule that would eventually bring us to Boo Boo Records—In the heat of July, many fans’ interests were piqued when it was revealed that Hayley had an unreleased single sent to a public radio station. The station, WNXP, in Nashville, posted an image of a CD with the message, “Thanks for keeping me company. Long live public radio,” written in Sharpie along with the names of the tracks, “Mirtazapine” and “Glum.” This method of revealing these first tracks was just the initiation of putting the spotlight on the “little guy” and is what set the precedent for the rest of the remaining album rollout. With this being Williams’ first independent album after Paramore’s 20-year contract with Atlantic Records ended, it intends to celebrate the organizations that may be lacking in overall size but make up for it with fervent devotion to what they do, and the foundation that their platform creates.

Shortly after this teaser, an assortment of songs would be released through a password protected website. Those dedicated enough to experiencing Hayley's new project could find the password if they had purchased a product from “Good Dye Young,” Hayley’s hair dye company. Once unlocked, users found an early 2010s-inspired webpage with the tracks available to listen to in no prescribed order. The effect of this is that fans had the opportunity to digest each track individually and then assemble the album in their own order, giving each listener their own unique experience and establishing a small way to collaborate with the artist and fellow fans. Then, in the next month, with the full release of the album on Spotify, this theme of creating your own unique listening experience was not abandoned, as all of the tracks were again released as singles, each with their own unique cover art, alongside the full album format. Fans who may not have gotten to experience the release website could now compile and create their own personal versions as well. Or if you are just looking for a more curated experience, then the option to listen to it in its official release order would be there for you too.

In the final step of rollout, the focus on the independent infrastructure of the musical world continued. For the physical format release, Hayley and her team collaborated with independent record stores nationwide to host listening parties. Because SLO is lucky enough to have Boo Boo Records, who jumped at the opportunity to host this listening party and regularly hosts events that foster the SLO music community whenever they have the chance, I, and other fans, were able to enjoy an evening together, quietly united under the admiration of music.

After a five-year waiting period since Hayley Williams’ last solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party was about as strong a return as one could ever hope for. Williams' astounding vocal ability, the humor and relevant subject matter included in many of the tracks, and the connection that the album release created are all features that make this album one that will be an ever-impacting piece of art. As Williams continues to advance her projects beyond her involvement in Paramore, I will be ecstatic to be a witness to it, hopefully alongside many fans, with the help of community hedgestones like Boo Boo Records.

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Landon Morton is a writer for our Editorial Team. He wrote the article and took the photo. Loretta Philp is a member of our Art Team. She made the graphic.