​Last month, Hayley Williams promised fans a sampling of a new solo project, her first outside Paramore. On Wednesday (Jan. 22), Williams introduced her debut solo album Petals for Armor with a chilling, cinema-quality music video for the equally spine-tingling lead single "Simmer."
The video finds Williams running through the moonlit woods before coming across animal bones, a glowing orb, and a lonely house bearing some very dark secrets. It's a fitting mood-setter for "Simmer," a calmly sinister alternative pop song with an alluring bass groove and an extremely catchy chorus. And while Paramore is on break, "Simmer" shows Williams has kept busy with her usual collaborators: the new song was produced by Paramore guitarist Taylor York and written by Williams, York and Joey Howard, Paramore's live bassist for the touring cycle behind its 2017 album After Laughter. The "Simmer" video was produced by Warren Fu, who also produced the video for the After Laughter single "Rose-Colored Boy."
READ MORESongs That Defined the Decade: Paramore's 'Hard Times'
A new album is also on the way. It's called Petals for Armor -- a phrase alluded to in the "Simmer" lyrics --- and is set for release May 8 via Atlantic. Williams has been posting since October on an Instagram page titled Petals for Armor, leading some fans to speculate this was also the artist name she'd be recording under; however, Wednesday's release confirms this is the LP title, which Williams will release under her own name.
Williams is taking the album on the road, too. In an interview today with BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac, she confirmed a forthcoming tour behind Petals For Armor. "We don't have all the dates yet, but it is happening," Williams said.
Below, find the "Simmer" video, followed by a statement from Williams about the new music.
The video finds Williams running through the moonlit woods before coming across animal bones, a glowing orb, and a lonely house bearing some very dark secrets. It's a fitting mood-setter for "Simmer," a calmly sinister alternative pop song with an alluring bass groove and an extremely catchy chorus. And while Paramore is on break, "Simmer" shows Williams has kept busy with her usual collaborators: the new song was produced by Paramore guitarist Taylor York and written by Williams, York and Joey Howard, Paramore's live bassist for the touring cycle behind its 2017 album After Laughter. The "Simmer" video was produced by Warren Fu, who also produced the video for the After Laughter single "Rose-Colored Boy."
READ MORESongs That Defined the Decade: Paramore's 'Hard Times'
A new album is also on the way. It's called Petals for Armor -- a phrase alluded to in the "Simmer" lyrics --- and is set for release May 8 via Atlantic. Williams has been posting since October on an Instagram page titled Petals for Armor, leading some fans to speculate this was also the artist name she'd be recording under; however, Wednesday's release confirms this is the LP title, which Williams will release under her own name.
Williams is taking the album on the road, too. In an interview today with BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac, she confirmed a forthcoming tour behind Petals For Armor. "We don't have all the dates yet, but it is happening," Williams said.
Below, find the "Simmer" video, followed by a statement from Williams about the new music.
