Paramore’s Hayley Williams calls out Morgan Wallen by name on her new album — and she’s not apologizing.
Paramore co-founder and solo artist Hayley Williams has publicly confirmed that Morgan Wallen is the target of a sharp lyric on her new album Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party.
On the record’s title track she sings, “I’ll be the biggest star / At this racist country singer’s bar,” and during a recent appearance on The New York Times’ Popcast Williams made it plain who she meant: “It could be a couple, but I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen, I don’t give a s***,” she said, then quipped she’d “meet me at Whole Foods, b**** — I don’t care.”
Wallen’s reputation was already under scrutiny after a 2021 incident in which he was filmed using a racial slur; the footage prompted a temporary suspension from his label and a public apology from the country star. In interviews since, Wallen has said there is “no excuse” for his behavior and described efforts to educate himself, meet with community leaders and try to make amends — but the episode continues to surface whenever the subject of accountability in country music arises.
In a 2022 interview with The Independent, Williams reflected on her early years in the punk-emo scene, describing it as “brutally misogynistic.” She admitted that as a young musician she felt pressured by genre purists to conform — for example, she was sometimes criticized for “singing really well,” which some considered at odds with the raw, DIY vocal aesthetic of punk.
She also spoke about discovering Paramore’s unexpectedly diverse fanbase, especially among Black listeners, something she had not fully realized growing up in the more racially homogeneous Deep South.
That backstory helps explain Williams’s blunt, no-frills approach today: she’s come up inside scenes that demanded toughness, and she’s used to calling out behavior she sees as harmful. Williams has also criticized Wallen’s Nashville business ventures, saying musician-branded bars shouldn’t be lazy name-drops.
Her comment about his This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen highlights how public figures and their brands are increasingly held to account in more than one arena.
The Popcast moment has already reignited debate among fans and critics over whether artists should call each other out in song, and what genuine accountability looks like for high-profile missteps. For Williams, the message is straightforward — she’s not interested in euphemism when naming what she sees as racist behavior.
Readers: do you think musicians should call out peers publicly like this? Share your thoughts below.
