Hayley Williams has pulled a vanishing act on her fans. Days after quietly uploading her surprise solo album Ego to her website, the Paramore frontwoman has deleted all 17 tracks without explanation. In place of the music now sits a simple message: "Hello, there. Thank you for listening." And just like that, Ego has disappeared, possibly for good.
The mysterious rollout began last week when Williams’ latest track Mirtazapine premiered on WNXP Nashville. Not long after, the full album, featuring titles like Kill Me, Glum, and Brotherly Hate, appeared on her official site. But it wasn’t freely available. To access the music, fans had to purchase from her hair brand, Good Dye Young, and enter a 16-digit code. Those who did were granted temporary access to what now feels like a ghost record.
Theories are circulating. Williams, now an independent artist following the expiration of her major label contract, may be experimenting with exclusivity, or simply expressing disillusionment with the traditional release model. Some speculate that the removal was part of the concept itself: a record about ego that self-destructs.
The stunt has echoes of her previous unpredictable moves. She surprise-dropped Flowers for Vases / descansos in 2021, and before that, released her solo debut Petals for Armor in 2020. More recently, she’s appeared on tracks with Turnstile, Moses Sumney, and David Byrne, who has a new album Who Is the Sky? releasing in September featuring Williams on What Is the Reason For It?
As for Ego, it’s unclear whether the album will ever reach streaming platforms or return to her site. For now, it exists only in fragments, downloaded by a few and discussed in whispers.
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