Celebrate Hayley Williams' Birthday With Her Debut Solo Album!
By Kristin Myers on December 27, 2021 at 4:35 PM EST
Singer Hayley Williams is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Paramore. The band released their first album, "All We Know Is Falling," way back in 2005, and has been churning out hit songs like "Ain't It Fun" and "Hard Times' ever since.
In 2020, the "Misery Business" singer put out her debut solo album, "Petals for Armor" and followed it up with "Flowers for Vases / Descansos" in 2021.
Williams was born on December 27, 1988, making her officially 33 years old on December 27, 2021! Fans are celebrating with a look back at her best songs for her solo album!
Simmer
There were a lot of great hits to come off of “Petals For Armor.” Most of the songs were about her emotional divorce from Chad Gilbert, and the raw, emotional lyrics of “Simmer” are no exception.
“This is absolutely what Hayley sounds, looks, and moves like,” one fan wrote. “This is her finally being true to herself and I’m so here for it, so proud of her !!!”
“I'm a fairly casual Paramore fan, but this ... this is phenomenal,” another shared.
“This is honestly the best piece of music I've heard in a while,” another fan wrote.
“Hayley Williams has always been my favorite singer,” another fan wrote. “IMO she is the most natural and pure voice.”
“I love the vibe of this one,” another wrote. “It blurs the lines between horror and Suspense. Haley is a true master of her craft!”
Dead Horse
Hayley Williams gets way too real with “Dead Horse,” where she details the experience of being the “other woman” before she got a taste of what it felt like to be the one being cheated on.
That’s not the only thing that fans love about this music video. Even though it’s Hayley’s solo project, Paramore bandmates Zac Farro directed the music video and Taylor York produced it.
In the comments to the music video, Hayley left a small note for her fans:
“Folks, I am so grateful you came here to watch the video. and it was nice to check-in and answer some questions. I gotta get going, a lot more work to do today. Just wanted to say, enjoy these songs - enjoy Petals For Armor. I'm honored to share.”
“I got what I deserve, I was the other woman first,” one fan wrote, noting the lyrics. “It takes so much courage and emotional maturity to admit your past wrongs. Admirable.”
“I love that, despite this being a solo album, it really brings out the best in ALL of Paramore members,” another shared. “Zac KILLED this video, Taylor is an amazing producer. I am in awe.”
“It makes me happy that Hayley seems to be enjoying herself in this new stage of her music career,” another shared. “I hope she gets where she wants to be. She’ll always be dope!!”
Cinnamon
Hayley’s music video for “Cinnamon” almost seems like something out of a horror movie, but fans appreciate the song’s emotional lyrics wrapped up in a catchy vibe.
“The musicality of this song is like an abstract painting, it doesn't make sense at first due to the displacement of the rhythm but when you hear it till the end and play it multiple times, it makes a lot of sense,” one fan wrote. “One way to describe it: GENIUS!”
“When Hayley says that her house has character she means it literally,” another fan joked.
“She's a great dancer omg, and I'm really digging this tremendously personal solo project from her,” another shared. “I'm really inspired.”
“I love watching her grow as a performer!” said another. “Every detail of the song and the video gives me the chills. Down to the choppy, not all together sound towards the beginning and towards the end where she’s free and dancing it sounds like everything came together perfectly.”
If you're looking for more of Hayley, don't forget to check out our list for top Paramore hits to keep the party going!