In a candid interview this week, Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams didn't mince words when confirming that her pointed lyric about a "racist country singer" targets none other than Morgan Wallen. The revelation, dropped during a New York Times podcast appearance, has reignited old tensions in the music world, pulling back the curtain on Williams' unfiltered disdain for the country star's past scandals.
Williams' solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, released back in July, features the track of the same name where she sings, "I'll be the biggest star at this racist country singer's bar." When pressed on the subject, she laughed it off with a blunt response: "It could be a couple, but I'm always talking about Morgan Wallen. I don't give a f***. Find me at Whole Foods, b****, I don't care." Indeed, the comment underscores her willingness to call out what she sees as hypocrisy in the industry, especially amid Wallen's ongoing dominance in country charts despite his baggage.
Moreover, Wallen's history here isn't ancient news. Back in 2021, a video surfaced of him repeatedly using the N-word, leading to swift backlash: his record label suspended him indefinitely, radio stations pulled his songs, and he lost major award nominations. He issued an apology, entered rehab, and bounced back commercially—his 2023 album One Thing at a Time shattered records with 36 Billboard Hot 100 entries. Yet controversies linger; just this year, Wallen faced arrests for public intoxication and a bizarre chair-throwing incident outside a Nashville bar. Williams, no stranger to Nashville herself, has previously slammed celebrity-owned spots like Wallen's This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen, calling them out for prioritizing profit over community in a local interview last August.
However, the feud feels personal for Williams, who has built Paramore's brand on progressive values and social awareness. Her latest solo work dives into themes of ego, fame, and accountability, and this lyric fits right in—a direct jab at Wallen's unchecked rise. Fans on social media are divided: some cheer Williams' boldness, while others decry it as piling on a reformed artist. Still, her words land with a sting, highlighting how old wounds in country music refuse to heal.
As the dust settles on this latest clash, one wonders if such public call-outs will spark real change in an industry long criticized for its inclusivity gaps.