2024 is certainly the year for comebacks, and there is one that we have been all too excited for. On September 6th, Ashe released her third studio album, Willson, after a break of two years. Ashe stepped away to focus on her mental health after two success-filled years full of releases, interviews, tours and songwriting. Now back as an independent artist, her third album Willson is named after her surname, following her debut album Ashlyn and sophomore album Rae. In her own words, this album was almost never released, but we are so glad it is. We delved into the songs and lyrics to give you an extensive review.
The fact that Willson was not made to be released makes a lot of sense considering that all songs are deeply honest, full of raw emotion and self-evaluation. In addition to this, the album explores new sounds that combine Ashe’s recognisable voice and adlibs with experimental instrumentals and effects on some songs. The album contains upbeat songs such as the first single ‘Running Out Of Time,’ ‘Dear Stranger,’ and ‘Cherry Trees,’ but also contains slower, more ballad-like songs.
Some songs on the album can be linked to others, even older songs, when it comes to lyric parallels or sounds. The album starts with an emotional and experimental ‘Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me,’ which contains references to older songs as well as songs on the new album. For example:
“My house is soaked in gasoline
And you’re the matchstick on the wall
One strike to go and burn it all”
This can be seen as a parallel to ‘Devil Herself,’ another song on Willson, with the following lyrics:
“And, if I was a pyromaniac, you would’ve fetched the gasoline
Handed me the matchsticks to burn down everything”
Additionally, the lyric “please take back your gifts and flowers” is similar to “I don’t need a bouquet, keep the flowers, let’s go dancing” from ‘Another Man’s Jeans’ on second album Rae.
Another parallel is the lyric “I can’t save myself, how do I even help out somebody else?” that links to Ashe’s song ‘Save Myself’ from her first album.
‘Please don’t fall in love with me’ is not the only song that contains references to earlier work. In fact, the entire meaning behind ‘I Hope You Die First’ stems from a lyric in Ashe’s 2022 song ‘Count On Me’: “I hope you die first, so you’ll never know what it’s like without somebody to lean on.” The references to earlier points in her career are much appreciated and show Ashe’s ability to not only look back and assess certain moments in her life from different points of view, but also demonstrates her very carefully crafted lyricism.
Ashe opens up with songs like ‘Helter Skelter’, ‘Pull The Plug’ and ‘I Wanna Love You (But I Don’t).’ The latter is a result of a therapy exercise that led Ashe to write a letter from herself as Ashlyn the songwriter, daughter, and girl, to Ashe, the performer, entertainer, and artist. Ashe elaborates in a TikTok video teasing the song:
“To my surprise, it was scathing and mean and so hurtful. The return letter was equally painful. This was the first time I realized something was really wrong.
I had no idea how much self-hatred was under the surface. This is the song that came from
those letters and kinda the place things started to heal.”
‘Helter Skelter’ is probably the saddest song on the album, according to Ashe—a song that encapsulates the feeling of anxiety and being overwhelmed:
“I’m calling in sick to the rest of this year
Nothing you see here is as it appears
I had hopes, but I don’t
Think I can go on with the show”
The chorus perhaps not only refers to “the show” as a busy life as an artist in the public eye pretending to be okay when they’re not, but also the literal show. Ashe cancelled her 2023 tour and festival performances with regard to her mental health.
Willson ends with the song ‘Ashe,’ as fitting as that seems. A most personal and honest song in which Ashe opens up about her healing process. Again, we see a lyric parallel here: “I’ve been crying wolf every day for a while now” links to one of Ashe’s earliest songs, ‘Girl Who Cried Wolf.’ One of the lyrics in ‘Ashe’ showcases her incredible lyricism and double meanings best: “will it matter when we all turn to ash?” On the one hand, this could mean “will all of our anxieties and mistakes matter when we all die?”, but on a deeper level, it could mean “will all of my struggles and my healing process matter when i turn into Ashe the artist?”, linking back to the letter that Ashe wrote herself. A full-circle song that is a fan favourite—it was the most voted song to be released two days before the album—and a perfect closing song for yet another stunning album from Ashe.
This album truly deserves a thoughtful listen and a spot in your playlist.
Written by: Marloes Joosen
Edited by: Shanna Henselmans
