Latest news with #Preacher'sDaughter
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ethel Cain statement apologizes for racism, criticizes 'smear campaign' against her
Ethel Cain is speaking out after controversial comments from her past resurfaced. The singer-songwriter, whose legal name is Hayden Silas Anhedönia, shared a lengthy statement July 9 addressing a series of social media posts made public recently in which she used derogatory and racist language. Cain, 27, verified that the screenshots (mostly from Twitter and the now-defunct platform CuriousCat) were authentic, and launched into an explanation of her late teenage years, seemingly to explain the surfaced comments. In them, Cain uses a racial slur, makes a rape joke, and employs fatphobic and xenophobic language. USA TODAY has reached out to Cain's reps for comment. "I spent my later high-school years being extremely progressive and 'SJW' as they called it at the time, as a way to reject the indoctrination of my environment and rebel against the prejudice, hatred, and ignorance of the culture I grew up in," Cain wrote in the statement posted to a shared Google Drive. "SJW" refers to social justice warrior, a person who has taken up several social causes sometimes overzealously. "After moving out of my parents' house, I fell into a subculture online that prioritized garnering attention at all costs. I flip-flopped again, rejecting all notions of my former 'cringe SJW' behavior and intended to be as inflammatory and controversial as possible," she continued. "I would have said (and usually did say) anything, about anyone, to gain attention and ultimately just make my friends laugh." Cain, a Florida native, catapulted to popularity in 2022 with her debut album "Preacher's Daughter." Her dreamy, ambient sound explores American Gothic themes, drawing on her own upbringing in the Southern Baptist church. With singles like "American Teenager," Cain turns her pen to the holes in American exceptionalism, tearing apart her religious raising and the tragedies of a state at war. Her comments, dating back to 2017 and '18, stand at odds with the version of herself projected in the music. "I could tell you that I had no idea at the time the platform I would have in the future, or tell you I just have a dry and extremely sarcastic sense of humor, or make any other kind of excuse, but there's no place for excuses in this matter," Cain continued in her statement. "At the end of the day, I am white, so while I can take accountability for my actions, there's no way for me to fully understand the way it feels to be on the receiving end of them. All I can say is that I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart, to anyone who read it then and to anyone reading it now. Any way you feel about me moving forward is valid. "This was a chapter of my life I look back at shamefully. I am not proud of my actions, and I have done my best to bury it as I feel strongly that no good can come from it," she wrote. "As I move forward through my life, I aim to use my platform for good, for change, and for progress." Shifting from atonement to anger, Cain went on to accuse a group of intentionally leaking the screenshots, not to promote dialogue but to smear her online. "All of these things resurfacing are not the actions of a well-meaning individual concerned by something they discovered easily and casually on the internet," she argued. "These are screenshots obtained through extensive digging, hacking, and cooperative effort amongst a group of individuals who do not care who else is hurt by witnessing this media as long as I am ultimately hurt the worst in the end. "I've known that all of these separate pieces of my past have been found and hoarded over the past couple years as I've been tipped off in various ways," Cain continued. "This massive smear campaign has been a long time in the making, waiting for the right moment to be unleashed, and now it finally has. "All they crave is the complete emotional destruction of me as a person," she wrote. "Personal accounts of mine have been hacked, my family has been doxxed and harassed, photos of me as a child and intimate details of my past have been passed around for fun." Cain, who is transgender, went on to address one by one the series of accusations made against her by what she called a "transphobic brigade of individuals." The accusations run the gamut, drawing not only from the social media screenshots but from deep dives into the art that she used to promote her music. Taking accountability for the racism baked into many of her earlier comments, Cain said that's where she would stop, and that the other "ridiculous material" was mere "brutal slander." "No I am not a violent misogynist fetishizing the 'female experience'. No I am not the creator of child pornography, nor am I a pedophile, a zoophile, or a porn-addicted incest fetishist," she said. "I urge you to recognize the patterns of a transphobic/otherwise targeted smear campaign, especially in this political day and age. "This entire situation is negligent, sensationalized, and extremely dangerous not only for myself but for all my loved ones."
Express Tribune
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Ethel Cain responds to backlash for past racist statements and allegations in full statement
Ethel Cain has come under intense scrutiny after old social media content from her teenage years resurfaced online, prompting widespread backlash and serious allegations. The posts, mostly dating from 2017 to 2018, were circulated on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), and appear to show the artist using racist language, promoting offensive humour, and referencing taboo topics. Among the most serious claims are allegations that Cain, then 19, used the N-word and posted anti-Latino remarks like 'build that wall!' She was also seen in a photo wearing a shirt reading 'LEGALIZE INCEST' and has been accused of creating art interpreted by some as referencing child sexual abuse. Other content included rape jokes, fat-shaming, and a post allegedly making light of sexual abuse involving animals. Critics further allege that Cain knowingly signed to Dr. Luke's publishing company, Prescription Songs, despite public knowledge of his legal battle with Kesha. A promotional poster for her 2022 album Preacher's Daughter also drew criticism for resembling a real missing child notice, with many calling it careless and offensive. Additionally, Cain has been accused of fetishising trauma and the female experience in her work—claims she strongly denies. In a statement shared on July 9, Cain confirmed the posts were hers, saying, 'That was my account and they were my words.' She added, 'I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart,' but insisted many of the more extreme allegations are the result of a 'targeted smear campaign.' She said her actions as a teen were driven by a desire for attention and rebellion against her upbringing. Cain also revealed that she had been raped at the time some of the content was created, and that some work was an attempt to process trauma. Her new album Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You is set to release August 8.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ethel Cain Says She Hunted Down Synths From the ‘Twin Peaks' Soundtrack to Make ‘Nettles'
Ethel Cain is getting ready to release her album Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You on Aug. 8, and on Wednesday, she shared a preview of the project by offering her eight-minute single 'Nettles.' In an Instagram story posted to one of her art accounts, she said that the song was inspired by Twin Peaks, and that she hunted down the specific synths that composer Angelo Badalamenti used to make the show's classic theme song. 'Also fun fact,' she wrote in her Instagram story. 'To everyone saying the song reminds them of Twin Peaks; late last year i watched that video of angelo badalamenti explaining how he wrote laura's theme and loved it so much that i hunted down the synths he used for the twin peaks and bought them and those are the ones i used for 'willoughby.' that video is also the reason i decided to watch twin peaks lol.' More from Rolling Stone Ethel Cain Will Follow Album Release With 'Willoughby Tucker Forever' Tour Ethel Cain Says '#KillMoreCEOs': 'Make Them Fear' Bad Bunny, Japanese Breakfast, Ethel Cain, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week In another Instagram story, she continued, 'For those asking, the specific keyboard I used for the nettles intro (i call them my angelo synths) was a Yamaha DX7s.' Badalamenti collaborated on the music with the show's creator David Lynch and singer-songwriter Julee Cruise, eventually creating the theme song 'Falling.' The classic track was the cornerstone of the 1990 soundtrack Music From Twin Peaks, and the song went on to win the 1991 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Cain said in a statement that 'Nettles' was written around the same time as her last album. 'This song and the last track on the record were both written the same week, the very first week I moved into the house in Alabama where I finished Preacher's Daughter,' Cain said. 'In similar fashion to Preacher's Daughter (specifically 'A House in Nebraska' and 'Strangers'), I wrote what essentially became the beginning and end of the story without realizing it. What were originally just little vignettes of emotion I was feeling at the time ultimately became the tentpoles for a larger narrative.' She added, ''Nettles' became a dream of losing the one you love, asking them to reassure you that it won't come true and to dream, instead, of all the time you'll have together as you grow old side by side. Every once in a blue moon, it feels good to slough off the macabre and to simply let love be.' In an interview with Rolling Stone, Cain opened up about her creative process and says she has multiple characters and generations all tied to the same universe across her albums. 'This is going to be 15, 20 years from now,' she says. 'I work very slow. That's how I like it.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ethel Cain will bring tour to St. Paul after release of her second album this year
Ethel Cain's penchant for balancing dark ambient textural soundscapes with pop hooks will be on display in September when her tour comes to St. Paul. Cain's "The Willoughby Tucker Forever" tour will head to the Palace Theatre on Sept. 19. The tour name comes from her upcoming album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You. It'll be Cain's second album released this year when it arrives over the summer. It follows Cain's heralded and, possibly, most experimental recording to date, Perverts, which was released in January. The album's announcement characterizes Willoughby Tucker as a prequel to her 2022 debut, Preacher's Daughter. (Tucker is the name of Cain's high school boyfriend, who surfaced in the song "A House in Nebraska" off that debut record, per Pitchfork.) The St. Paul stop is the second-to-last date of the tour's North American leg, which will have 9million opening at the Palace Theatre. Tickets for Ethel Cain at the Palace Theatre went on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 28. As part of the tour, Cain will partner with the Ally Coalition to donate $1 from every ticket to local organizations that support the trans community.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ethel Cain Prepping Second 2025 Album ‘Willoughby Trucker, I Will Always Love You'
It's been nearly four months since Ethel Cain dropped her Perverts project in January. Now, the singer-songwriter is ready to show what she's been doing in the time since then with a surprise new album announcement. On Monday (March 24), Cain revealed that her sophomore album Willoughby Trucker, I Will Always Love You will drop this August. Serving as a prequel to her critically acclaimed debut LP 2022's Preacher's Daughter, the new album's storyline will take place in 1986 according to Cain's Instagram, which she calls 'the year everything changed forever.' More from Billboard Lizzo & Lil Nas X Set to Headline 2025 Outloud Music Festival at WeHo Pride Playboi Carti Scores Second No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 'MUSIC' Selena Gomez Drops Narrated Version of 'I Said I Love You First' - Plus 'Stained,' an Unreleased Track From Eight Years Ago Alongside the announcement of a new album, Cain also revealed her upcoming headlining tour, the Willoughby Trucker Forever Tour, which is set to kick off this August in Seattle. Hitting major hubs like New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin, the U.S. leg of the outing will wind up on Sept. 20 at The Salt Shed in Chicago before heading overseas in October. After releasing her experimental studio recording Perverts in January, Cain came under fire for a series of posts to her Instagram Stories in reaction to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Johnson, where she used the hashtag '#KillMoreCEOs' and told her fans that she did not intend her post as a joke: ''Violence is never the answer' wrong. Sometimes it is.' A number of Fox News hosts called her comments 'depraved' and said that listeners should 'boycott her.' Cain, in response to the criticism, said that her comments weren't political, but steeped in reality: 'I find it funny that conservatives try to paint me calling for the death and destruction of multi-billionaire CEOs as some radical 'woke liberal' standpoint,' she said. 'As if that even has anything to do with politics, especially in this era of surface level circus politics.' Tickets for Cain's Willoughby Trucker Forever Tour go on sale on Friday (March 28) at 10 a.m. local time at the singer's website. Check out the full list of tour dates below: Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
