More about: ParamoreHayley Williams

Hayley Williams – a name you will surely recognise from her almost twenty year long career in the powerhouse band Paramore, or perhaps more recently for her feature on Taylor Swift’s Speak Now vault release, ‘Castles Crumbling’. After the release of her feature with longtime friend Swift and as Paramore’s huge summer tour playing arenas in North America comes to a close, it feels relevant now more than ever to take a look back at her solo music previously released during the beginning of the pandemic.

Petals for Armor – Williams’ debut solo album – came during Paramore’s brief hiatus at the end of their After Laughter era and after starting therapy, in particular EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). One of the first inspirations for this album came from one of these sessions, where Williams pictured flowers growing through her body – something she described as “gruesome and painful” whilst still seeing the feminine beauty in the visuals, inspiring the album title.

Hayley split the album into three different parts, which she released separately into three EPs – this was done to highlight the personal development within the album’s narrative, starting from rage that turns to grief, rolling into pride and security, ultimately ending with healing and acceptance. This unconventional rollout was much appreciated by fans like myself as the release of the album, which began in January 2020 with single ‘Simmer’, ended with the full album release in May – which by then was plagued by the uncertainty of lockdown. Having the album released in EPs gave fans something to discuss and look forward to week by week, and grew anticipation for the final piece of the puzzle.

Consisting of 15 songs – which I personally love each in their own distinctive way – there are numerous standout tracks like ‘Simmer’, the quiet yet rageful lead single that features delicate vocals releasing sharp lines such as “if my child needed protection from a fucker like that man, I’d sooner gut him”, and ‘Cinnamon’, a funky celebration of embracing femininity and freedom after the end of an unhealthy decade long relationship. I think ‘Dead Horse’ is one of the most striking songs from the album, opening with a sheepish voice note that turns into a groovy, confident call-out song pointing out Williams’ relationship regrets as well as the importance of her own self-worth – arguably one of her more vulnerable songs, Hayley bravely bares all in her journey of self-acceptance. ‘Why We Ever’ and ‘Pure Love’ play back-to-back with raw instrumentals and vocals, telling a story of regretting an impulsive break-up – and the enthusiastic reunion, itching to open up and share your vulnerabilities with your partner after reaching a newfound confidence.

The closing track, ‘Crystal Clear’, is a fan favourite and possibly the best track on Petals – a declaration of love that features links to previous Paramore songs, with lyrics so refreshingly optimistic that you can almost hear the smile on Hayley’s face as she sings them. It is definitely one of Hayley’s more personal tracks, with a love song her grandfather wrote for her grandmother mixed into the outro by her current partner and Paramore bandmate, Taylor York, who produced the album.

During the pandemic and alongside the release of each EP, lyric videos were released in the style of home footage montages, with behind the scenes content from photoshoots and studio sessions – this made for a genuine connection to be made with fans, as well as Hayley releasing various covers and acoustic versions of her songs, dubbed Sunday Sessions, alongside touring bandmate Joey Howard, who helped write some of the album’s tracks. A 22 show tour was planned for the album, but called off due to the rise of COVID, which Williams has since said to appreciate as the time away from the stage allowed her to distract herself from working through personal issues – which led to the release of her unplanned second album, Flowers for Vases/Descansos.

Released in February 2021, FFV/D was first teased with a change to Hayley’s website, to let fans know something was coming soon – in January she mailed doll arms and legs, as well as a CD with lead single ‘My Limb’, to fans asking for them to the song. A week later, the album was released with little announcement – it was a career first for Hayley as she singlehandedly wrote, performed and recorded each song in her home herself, creating an intimate acoustic album that she stated narratively takes place inbetween the first and second Petals For Armor EPs.

"Hayley Williams is a master of her craft"

I remember waking up especially early on the morning of the album’s release, hours before I had to join online lessons for my A-Levels in one of the later lockdowns in the UK, carefully listening for each detail in the lyrics of every song that detail pure heartache after the end of a relationship, as well as the reflection of personal moments from Hayley’s childhood. Although I believe both albums are criminally underrated, Flowers For Wases/Descansos is less known due to the lack of promotion – it wasn’t released physically until almost a year later – this was a purposeful choice from Williams which made the record feel even more earnest and genuine, but led to less appreciation for beautiful story she created in 14 songs.

Fortunately, Hayley’s solo music has found its place incorporated into recent Paramore live shows, with ‘Simmer’ and ‘Crystal Clear’ being performed in the middle of sets (alongside songs from drummer Zac Farro’s musical project, HalfNoise). ‘Inordinary’, a mellow song that reflects on Hayley’s childhood as well as the way touring in Paramore as a teen gave for an unusual adolescence, also got its live debut at Love Rising – a benefit event in Nashville in support of their LGBTQ community – in March of this year.

All in all, Hayley Williams is a master of her craft – although this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Her solo albums are an extraordinary showcase of talent from herself and the people she works with, her songs can make you dance, shout, cry – as I listen to her discography on a loop while writing this piece, there are certain tracks that never fail to brim my eyes with tears after each listen. If you’re streaming her Speak Now feature or seeing Paramore open for Taylor at the Eras Tour next year, take some time to listen to Hayley’s albums – it’s time they got the amount of recognition they deserve

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More about: ParamoreHayley Williams