Welcome back to my channel. Babe, we’re talking about Ethel Cain. In a recent incident, 25-year-old inbred musician
Hayden Silas Anhedönia, which might I add is unique enough to be a stage name, known
by her actual stage name Ethel Cain, collapsed during a performance at the Sydney Opera House. Anhedönia downplays the seriousness of the
situation, attributing it to her naturally low energy levels and lack of stamina rather
than a severe health issue. Despite her attempt to minimize the incident,
her sizeable fanbase quickly spread videos of the episode on social media platforms,
sparking discussions. Like always. This incident serves as a symbolic culmination
of a transformative year for Anhedönia. Her journey into alternative pop stardom has
been swift and intense, marked by a mixture of acclaim and challenges. Raised in a Southern Baptist family in small-town
Florida, she was homeschooled and raised listening to Christian music. As a teenager, she discovered pop, and became
enamoured of the music of Florence + the Machine; she became active on Twitter and Tumblr, and
started making friends online. She moved out of home at 18 and, at 20, came
out as a trans woman. Shortly after, she began releasing music as
Ethel Cain, a character inspired by southern gothic, horror films, and the religious trauma
of Anhedönia’s own upbringing. After building up a small, dedicated fanbase
with a series of EPs released in 2019 and 2021, her breakthrough came with the release
of the 76-minute album "Preacher's Daughter," a sprawling and unconventional work that defies
easy categorization. No seriously, some songs are past 10 minutes
and they range from taylor swift-esque teen pop to doom metal. This ambitious project propelled her into
the alternative mainstream, attracting a substantial and passionate following. She has discussed her willingness to play
the Miss alt pop star role in the media if it helped her career. Which I completely understand because I too
am broke and desperate. However, the newfound fame has brought a mix
of positive and negative aspects that she grapples with. The album apparently aims to tell the story
of the Ethel Cain character, a gnarly tale of abuse and cannibalism that, somehow, became
one of the year’s biggest pop breakouts, and a mainstay in critics’ end of year lists. Wow, how fun! Touching on hazy ambient music, gothic country
and doom metal, many of its songs have no choruses or discernible hooks. Its calling-card single, American Teenager,
is a heartland rock anthem that feels indebted to Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen, but
most other songs, like the pulverising Gibson Girl or the glacially paced Thoroughfare,
seem to exist at the intersection of Lana Del Rey, the ambient folk artist Grouper,
and Godspeed You! Black Emperor at their most grinding. Anhedönia’s music has frequently been compared
to Lana Del Rey’s, and the similarities are evident: the reedy, mournful vocals; the
meandering song structures; the tales of seedy corners of American life. But where Del Rey seems only to try these
quotidian existences on for size, you can hear that Anhedönia has really lived them;
listening to Preacher’s Daughter front to back is a genuinely emotional experience. Anhedönia's active engagement with fans on
platforms like Twitter significantly contributed to her rise. Yet, this engagement also had unintended consequences. The demands for personal access and intrusive
questions from fans began affecting her relationships with family and friends, prompting a reevaluation
of the cost of her public persona. There was one especially creepy case where
a family member complained to Ethel that her fans would send them DMs just so Ethel would
notice them. Truly the parasocial magnum opus. Furthermore, the challenge of being labeled
a pop artist thrust Anhedönia, AKA. Ethel Cain, into the realm of stan culture,
where fans passionately debate and measure an artist's success using metrics like streams
and followers. This has introduced a new layer of complexity
to her career as she navigates between artistic authenticity and fan expectations. Anhedönia's rising popularity can be attributed
partly to her internet savvy and engagement with fans through platforms like Instagram
and Twitter. However, she began to feel trapped in a cycle
of being perceived primarily as an internet persona rather than a serious artist. While she appreciates the humor and support
from fans, she finds it demoralizing when her art is not taken seriously due to this
perception. As a performer, Anhedönia captivates audiences
with her intimate and hushed performances. However, she has encountered instances where
fans disrupt these moments by making jokes or referencing internet memes during her shows. While not necessarily malicious, this behavior
can be jarring and impact the authenticity of her performances. Also, live shows these days just suck now. Honestly. Anhedönia recently deleted her Twitter account,
citing a shift in her perspective on openness and honesty. She initially believed that transparency would
make her relatable, but she realized the downsides of having her personal life exposed online. Another reason for her retreat from social
media was the increasing demand from fans to access not only her but also her friends
and family. This invasive approach began affecting her
relationships and created an uncomfortable dynamic with those close to her. Anhedönia attributes part of this situation
to her classification as a pop artist, which places her within the stan culture where fans
debate metrics like streams, stats, and followers, sometimes losing sight of the artist's individuality. Currently residing in rural Pittsburgh, Anhedönia
is focused on her creative work and a follow-up project to "Preacher’s Daughter." She seeks to challenge herself artistically
and remains committed to her music, despite the challenges of fame and internet culture. As Anhedönia reflects on her journey from
relative obscurity to alternative pop stardom, she now yearns for a quieter life away from
the relentless spotlight. Currently focused on her creative work and
personal growth, she has become discerning about collaborations and appearances. Her desire for artistic integrity and authenticity
drives her decisions, even as she grapples with the dynamics of her rapidly growing fanbase. Amid the twists and turns of her unexpected
rise, Anhedönia's experience encapsulates the paradoxes of modern fame and the pursuit
of artistic individuality. But what do I know? I’m just an AI robot. Bleep, bloop, bleep, bloop. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you in
the next video.
