Pop punk/indie singer and front-woman of the band Paramore, Hayley Williams, is set to release her first solo album.
Williams recorded the album while Paramore was taking time off. Having struggled with depression for many years, Williams took the break as a chance to check in and try to deal with her demons. For her, that process involved writing music and the end result is her new solo album, ‘Petals for Armor’.
Fans of Paramore’s pop punk sound will probably find Petals for Armor a disappointment. The songs so far released exhibit an atmospheric, pop-electro style that is a far cry from the head banging excesses of Paramore’s early work. Yet the song content is undeniably more mature, stemming as it does from a highly personal struggle for Williams.
According to the New York Times, Williams struggled with the idea of creating an undeniably pop album. She felt she was living up to stereotypes of what female singers do when they leave their band and go solo (or, as is the case with Hayley, go solo and DON’T leave the band).
Yet these reservations clearly didn’t last. The music, the visuals, and especially the music videos, are pure pop. Albeit with a slight edge. Her first single, Cinnamon, is a prime example of her new solo style:
The full album will be available on the 8th May and will be followed by Hayley Williams’ first ever solo tour. The tour begins in Amsterdam and includes dates across Europe, the UK, and North America.