Ethel Cain

Hayden Silas Anhedönia (; born March 24, 1998), known professionally as Ethel Cain, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and model. She became known for her ambient and Southern Gothic-style music and lyrics. She began releasing recordings under various aliases, before releasing multiple extended plays including Inbred which garnered various singles including "Crush".

Cain released her debut studio album, Preacher's Daughter (2022), to acclaim from critics and garnered a cult following. After a vinyl release in 2025, the album debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200 chart, making Cain the first openly transgender artist to reach the top ten. She released the studio recording Perverts (2025), which saw her experimenting with drone music. Later that year, she released her second studio album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You (2025), which served as a lyrical prequel to her debut album.

Early life Hayden Silas Anhedönia was born on March 24, 1998, in Tallahassee, Florida, and raised in Perry, Florida. She is the eldest of four children in a Southern Baptist family. At age 8, Anhedönia began studying classical piano, with musical influences from a variety of Christian music, as well as Florence Welch, who served as Anhedönia's inspiration as she wrote her first album as a teenager. The church was Anhedönia's first exposure to music: "My whole life was always singing, always, always music all the time", she said.

Career 2017–2021: Career beginnings and EPs Anhedönia officially started making music in 2017, experimenting with "dreamy bedroom pop demos" under different monikers. As White Silas, she first published Gregorian chant-inspired singles and mixtapes to SoundCloud and Tumblr, the latter now having been deactivated and no longer associated with the artist. In 2019, Anhedönia started recording music as Ethel Cain, which became her current main project. For the new moniker, she thought of a "womanly, matronly, old American name", while also taking inspiration from the biblical figure of Cain. Her first extended play as Ethel Cain, Carpet Bed, consisted of four songs and was released on September 13, 2019. Months later, she released her second EP, Golden Age, on December 1. In January 2020, after recommendation from Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Cain was discovered by the rapper Lil Aaron while headlining a show with Edith Underground, Girlfiend, and Lil Bo Weep in Los Angeles. She was then invited by him to meet with the publishing company Prescription Songs and signed with them soon after.

In February 2021, Cain released her debut single as Ethel Cain while under the new publishing contract, "Michelle Pfeiffer", which featured Lil Aaron. The song was described by Billboard as alternative rock, folk, pop and "even country". Her second single, "Crush", followed on March 18 and received a music video on August 3. The two singles were part of her third EP, Inbred, which was released on April 23. The ambient-folk and slowcore EP was named by Pitchfork as one of The 49 Most Anticipated Albums of Spring 2021 and received a score of 7.6 out of 10 by the website. Later on August 24, a stripped version of "Crush" was also published. On March 8, 2022, she released a cover of the song "Everytime" by Britney Spears as part of Spotify Singles, in observance of International Women's Day.

2022–2024: Breakthrough with Preacher's Daughter

On March 17, 2022, Cain released the single "Gibson Girl" and subsequently announced her debut album, titled Preacher's Daughter and released on May 12, 2022, through her own record label, Daughters of Cain. A concept album that creates a narrative "centered around the character Ethel Cain", it received a positive reception from music critics and was named one of the best albums of the year. It was also preceded by the release of the singles "Strangers" on April 7 and "American Teenager" on April 21, the latter receiving a music video on July 21. In support of the album, Cain embarked on the Freezer Bride Tour in 2022 and the Blood Stained Blonde Tour in 2023. She was also an opening act at one concert of Florence and the Machine's Dance Fever Tour and Caroline Polachek's Spiraling Tour.

Cain performed at the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023. On June 3, 2023, Cain fainted on stage while performing at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, as part of Vivid Live, resulting in the show's cancellation. She returned to performing the next day. She also performed at Reading Festival and Gunnersbury Park with Boygenius and Muna in August 2023. On December 5, 2023, Cain announced the Childish Behaviour Tour, an eight-show tour that began on June 3, 2024 and was slated to end on June 27, 2024. After sharing the song on SoundCloud a year before, on July 21, 2023, she released "Famous Last Words (An Ode to Eaters)", inspired by Luca Guadagnino's film Bones and All, along with 1017 ALYX 9SM. With a "darkly poignant" music video, it was included in the project's first compilation album. In that year, Cain appeared as a guest vocalist on the songs "Dying Star" by Ashnikko and "222" by Angel Diaz (also known as Vyva Melinkolya) from the albums Weedkiller and Unbecoming, respectively.

Cain placed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 2024 for Music. She opened for Mitski's 2024 concert tour in support of her album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (2023). On February 14, 2024, she released a song titled "من النهر" (meaning "From the River"), which she described as a "prayer" for Palestinians. On September 5, 2024, Cain released a cover of the track "For Sure", which appeared on American Football: Covers, a cover album by the American emo band American Football in tribute to their 1999 record of the same name. Days later, they performed the track together at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.

2025–present: Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You On January 8, 2025, Cain released the studio recording Perverts. An experimental drone project, it was preceded by the release of the lead single, "Punish". Cain stated that she decided to release it since she liked the genre and wanted to make drone music of her own. In April 2025, Preacher's Daughter received a vinyl release, which caused it to debut on various charts worldwide, including the US Billboard 200 at number ten, marking her first entry on the chart. The album also debuted atop Billboards Top Album Sales chart.

Cain's second studio album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You, was released on August 8, 2025. The album was preceded by the singles "Nettles", and "Fuck Me Eyes". The album serves as a prequel to Preacher's Daughter and accompanied by the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour.

Artistry Cain's musical style has been classified as indie rock, alternative pop, slowcore, Americana, and ambient. She also finds inspiration from gospel music, country music, classic rock, and alternative music. After Cain gained popularity with her single "Crush", which is more pop-oriented than her usual alternative style, from her EP Inbred (2021), she talked about her "fear" of making pop music, saying that "once you make pop music, your other genres won't be taken as seriously", but "she has worked to make the music she wants." Cain plans to release a book surrounding the story of her album Preacher's Daughter alongside a film once her trilogy albums are released.

Music critics have praised the "cinematography" in her songs, due to Cain's interest in movies and building songs with scenes and characters. Her early musical influences included Karen Carpenter, the Steve Miller Band, and a variety of Christian music. Other influences she has cited include Title Fight, Chelsea Wolfe, King Woman, Velvetears, Nicole Dollanganger, Avril Lavigne, Michelle Tumes, Jaci Velasquez and Nichole Nordeman.

Personal life Sexuality and identity Anhedönia came out as gay to her family at the age of 12, and on her 20th birthday, she publicly came out as a trans woman: "As I got older, I found out there were other options", she said.

She is autistic, which she learned upon seeking a diagnosis in her adulthood. Reflecting on how being autistic has impacted her artistry, she has stated:

I'm autistic, and so that definitely heightens sensory everything. [...] I think that's why I have so much crossover between media, because it's like, there's never just one sense. Music is not just something you listen to. Film is not just something you watch. You get all these senses from all these things. When I'm producing music, I literally feel sometimes I can see it. I have to close my eyes, and I imagine the bass is the earth. I imagine the synths are rising up next to you, and I imagine the vocals are high in the sky, right in the center. I close my eyes and picture the sound around me – that's how I mix.

In an interview for Rolling Stone in August 2023, she revealed that all of her family have since left the church, though she clarified they are still religious in some ways. She elaborated in a Tumblr post in 2022 that she does not consider herself a Christian, nor as someone who cares about religion. However, she "still abides by the values [she] was raised on", such as kindness, graciousness, and loving her neighbor.

Political views The lyrics of Cain's song "American Teenager" express anti-war sentiment, political and religious disillusionment, and criticisms of US gun culture. It was included by former President of the United States Barack Obama in his list of favorite songs of 2022, which prompted surprise from Cain that a former president had included her "anti-war, anti-patriotism fake pop song" in his end-of-year list.

On February 14, 2024, she released a song on SoundCloud titled "" (""; ), a reference to the pro-Palestinian phrase "from the river to the sea". She has expressed disapproval of United States presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Additionally, she expressed support for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Criticism of past social media posts On July 6, 2025, social media posts by Cain from 2017 and 2018 resurfaced online after being shared by an account on X, in which she admitted to making racist comments. The X account also shared a picture of Cain wearing a homemade t-shirt that read "legalize incest". During this time, Cain's Spotify page was also hacked. She discussed the controversy with the Popcast podcast on July 30, 2025.

On August 14, 2025, American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey posted a video to Instagram containing a snippet that included lyrics referencing Ethel Cain. Del Rey later elaborated on why she made the song, explaining: "I didn't know who Ethel was until a few years ago — when someone brought to my attention the disturbing and graphic side-by-side images she would often put up of me next to unflattering creatures and cartoon characters making constant comments about my weight [..] Then when I heard what she was saying behind closed doors from mutual friends and started inserting herself into my personal life I was definitely disturbed." On the same day, Cain posted an Instagram story claiming that Del Rey had blocked her on Instagram, but did not confirm or deny Del Rey's accusation. Del Rey would go on to deem Cain "abusive". The incident Lana del Rey has referred to has never been proven. Although it was heavily disputed that what Del Rey was referring to was a tweet by Hayden of a Peter Griffin dancing gif alongside the lyrics of Del Rey's song "Peppers."

Other ventures Cain began modeling in campaigns for Givenchy, Miu Miu, and Marc Jacobs, On February 6, 2025, IMG Models signed Cain as part of their roster.

Discography

Studio albums + Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications US AUS AUT BEL(FL) CAN GER IRE NLD NZ UK Preacher's Daughter Released: May 12, 2022 Label: Daughters of Cain Format: Digital download, LP, streaming 10 5 24 11 64 15 52 10 11 10 BPI: Silver Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You Released: August 8, 2025 Label: Daughters of Cain Format: Digital download, vinyl, streaming, CD, cassette 14 5 23 11 91 16 17 11 5 12

Extended plays + Title EP details Peak chart positions AUS Perverts Released: January 8, 2025 Label: Daughters of Cain (via AWAL) Format: Digital download, streaming 24

Singles + Title Year Peak chart positionsCertifications Album USRock NZHot "Michelle Pfeiffer" 2021 — — Inbred "Crush" — — "Gibson Girl" 2022 — — Preacher's Daughter "Strangers" — — "American Teenager" — — RIAA: Gold "Famous Last Words (An Ode to Eaters)" 2023 — — 1017 ALYX 9SM Compilation Vol. 1 "For Sure" 2024 — —American Football (Covers) "Punish" — 29 Perverts "Nettles" 2025 — 17 Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You "Fuck Me Eyes" 35 10 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Promotional singles

Other charted songs + Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZHot "Janie" 2025 25 Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You "Willoughby's Theme" 38 "Dust Bowl" 10 "Waco, Texas" 36

Music videos Title Year Director Ref"The God"2020Hayden Anhedönia "Fear No Plague" 2021 Hayden Anhedönia and Salem Anhedönia "Crush" "Crush" "American Teenager" 2022 "Famous Last Words (An Ode to Eaters)" 2023 Hayden Anhedönia and Silken Weinberg "For Sure" 2024 Hayden Anhedönia "Punish" Hayden Anhedönia and Silken Weinberg "Vacillator" 2025

Tours

Headlining The Freezer Bride Tour (2022) Blood Stained Blonde Tour (2023) The Childish Behaviour Tour (2024) The Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour (2025)

Opening act Florence & The Machine – Dance Fever Tour (2022) Caroline Polachek – Spiraling Tour (2023) Boygenius – The Tour (2023) Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We Tour (2024)

Accolades Awards and nominations + List of award nominations, with the year of ceremony, recipient(s), category, and result Award Year Recipient(s) Category Result GLAAD Media Award 2023 Cain Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist

Listicles +Name of publisher, name of listicle, year(s) listed, and placement result Publisher Listicle Year(s) Result Forbes30 Under 30 2024 Placed