If Hayley Williams were a doctor, she would prescribe everyone a dose of ego death.
Ego death was created to help people “deconstruct expired systems” and “survive the daily onslaught of a sexist, racist, white supremacist, phobic and fascist hatred.” Ego death should not be taken by those allergic to empathy. At least, that’s what fans were told during the opening monologue of Williams’ Tuesday night (May 12) performance at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
Williams released her third solo studio album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party last summer to great critical acclaim and with it, earned herself four nominations at the 2026 Grammys. After a canceled 2020 trek meant to support her first solo LP, Petals for Armor, Williams has finally embarked on her first ever solo tour. Supporting Ego Death, Hayley Williams at a Bachelorette Party kicked off on March 28 in Atlanta before snaking its way across the United States (and a stop in Ontario). This week, the Paramore front woman is closing the North American leg of her first solo tour with three sold-out dates in L.A.
Although Williams brought the Parafour — Paramore’s touring band — along for the ride, fans should not expect to hear any Paramore songs on this tour. In fact, they also should not hope to hear anything off of either of Williams’ first two solo albums — 2020’s Petals for Armor and 2021’s FLOWERS for VASES/descansos — either. Instead of showcasing her other musical ventures, Williams opted to perform every track from Ego Death on this trek. But with a 20-piece track list with songs that cover everything from breakups (“Parachut,” “Good Ol’ Days”) to bigotry in the U.S. South (“True Believer”) to effective antidepressants (“Mirtazapine”), Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party provided plenty of material for an incredible concert set list.
But of course, Williams — who first dropped the album as a series of 17 unannounced singles on her website last August — had a couple of extra tricks up her sleeve. From a surprise Jack Antonoff cameo to a heart-wrenching Nina Simone cover, below are Billboard‘s five favorite moments from the May 12 “Hayley Williams at a Bachelorette Party” show in Los Angeles.
