“I’m Always Talking About Morgan Wallen” – Paramore’s Hayley Williams Doubles Down On “Racist Country Singer” Comment

Sounds like Morgan might be living in her head rent-free.

I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Morgan Wallen is a pretty polarizing figure, not only in country music but in the industry as a whole. From his past controversies that include multiple arrests for public intoxication and his most recent chair-throwing incident outside of Eric Church’s bar, Chief’s, to his highly-publicized and scrutinized use of the n-word back in 2021, the “Last Night” singer has been no stranger to negative press over the past five years.

Of course, that’s just his headlines outside of the studio and is not even taking into consideration just how massive (and further controversial) his now-patented blend of pop, country and trap elements has been in the eyes of both fans and critics alike. Simply put, Wallen has been painted by many as both a hero and a villain.

Though the Tennessee native quite obviously has plenty of support from fellow artists across genres (I mean, just look at the amount of features and collaborations he’s had both in the studio and at his concerts), there’s been quite a few performers over the years to take swipes at the giant. Namely, Jason Isbell, Maren Morris, Cassadee Pope and Mickey Guyton condemned him in the wake of the aforementioned footage of him using the n-word being leaked.

Recently, however, it was not a country artist to take a jab at Wallen. It was none other than Paramore’s Hayley Williams.

In case you’re not Williams in particular, she’s the lead singer of Paramore, who are undoubtedly one of the quintessential pop punk bands of the 2000s. With smash hits like “All I Wanted,” “Ain’t It Fun” and “Still Into You,” the band is still creating music. With that being said, Williams also has her own solo career in addition to her work with her band, and on August 28, she released an 18-track surprise album titled Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party.

But one in particular stands out, not only for its very unique name but also the content in the lyrics, and that would be the title track, which references Morgan Wallen… she doesn’t say his name outright, but it’s pretty obvious when you read the line about her being the the “biggest star at this racist country singer’s bar.” It’s the very first line in the song:

“I’ll be the biggest star at this racist country singer’s bar
No use shootin’ for the moon, no use chasing waterfalls
I’m the biggest star at this racist country singer’s bar
No use shootin’ for the moon, no use chasing waterfalls”

Though there was some speculation that she was actually talking about Jason Aldean, given the fact that the “She’s Country” singer has been also painted as a racist by many over the years, Williams put any speculation to rest in a recent interview with New York Times.

Being interviewed by Joe Coscarelli and Jon Caramanica, the 36-year-old singer was asked point-blank by Coscarelli if she wanted to name who she was referring to in “Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party.

Not skipping a beat, Williams immediately answered:

“I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen. I don’t care.”

Williams herself did not elaborate any further about Wallen. However, Coscarelli immediately replied and suggested that her hate towards the “I Got Better” singer stems from her and Paramore having a strong black fanbase, once again trying to paint him as a racist.

“I think that relates directly to Paramore and your fan base. There’s been a lot written over the years about its diversity, and Paramore’s black fans in particular.” 

I think at this point, most of us can recognize that Wallen is, in fact, NOT a racist. Of course, this is not a defense of his use of a racial slur, but his long history of relationships and subsequent collaborations with black artists throughout the past five years points to him having a completely different view that many have tried to paint him as having. You can hate his music all you want, but let’s not make false statements here.

There’s also this ignorant irony in suggesting that Paramore’s fanbase is so diverse when, in fact, Morgan’s hip-hop infused brand of pop country music has actually garnered HIM a rather diverse and massive fanbase from all walks of life. Especially black folks. I mean, there’s a hell of a lot of rappers looking to collaborate with Morgan Wallen… can’t exactly say the same for Hayley Williams.

“Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party”

The post “I’m Always Talking About Morgan Wallen” – Paramore’s Hayley Williams Doubles Down On “Racist Country Singer” Comment first appeared on Whiskey Riff.