Petals For Armor: Hayley Williams’ Authentic Solo Debut (5 Year Anniversary)
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The great Hayley Williams of Paramore released her debut solo album on 8th May 2020. For Paramore fans, ‘Petals For Armor’ bridged the gap between ‘After Laughter’ of 2017 and ‘This Is Why’ of 2023. This project, along with its sister album, ‘FLOWERS for VASES/descansos’ (2021), satisfied the alt/pop scene between those albums. On top of this, it is a vital chapter in the impressive sonic journey that Williams and bandmate Taylor York have been on for 21 years.
The two have been making music together since they were in high school, and York has produced a number of Paramore’s albums in collaboration with Justin Meldal-Johnsen. But this time, York and Williams put their years of musical synergy into these tracks.
As a Paramore fan, I eagerly anticipated the release of this album. I was ready to pay particular attention to hearing what similarities and differences I could find. Listening to this for the first time, I was thrilled by the energy and experimental nature of the tracks, bringing elements of hip-hop and jazz into the pop world.
To celebrate the 5th anniversary of this unforgettable album, I have broken down why some of the tracks pack such a punch.
Cinnamon
Williams saw this project as a chance to get her “…hands a little dirtier,” in terms of instrumentation. That is a feeling that can be felt throughout the album. A known lover of the drums, Hayley manages to bring such playful percussion to every track on this record. In particular, on ‘Cinnamon’ we hear, among very simple instrumentation, a nuanced drum performance. The lyrics of this song explore the home life of Williams, and her relaxed use of her whole vocal range throughout truly conveys this.
Sudden Desire
There’s an overt aggression to this track that stays in the subtext throughout the rest of ‘Petals For Armor’. The production is much darker than the other songs and Williams puts her voice to work to make the powerful lyrics even more damning. We are used to the raspy power of Hayley’s vocals, but we can hear her fluidity in this track. It leaves her feeling free to play with harmonies and adlibs, alongside overlapping melodies, throwing the listener into the emotional whirlwind she is revealing.
Dead Horse
‘Dead Horse‘ is a showcase of Williams’ lyrical expertise. There’s a blatant honesty to the lyrics, particularly those of the chorus. They are thinly veiled by the high-tempo music and ensemble vocals. Contrasting these themes together makes this song one of the most popular on the album. It is appealing to a huge array of listeners and keeps it playlist-relevant even 5 years on.
Sugar On The Rim
This track is one of my personal favourites. The dark and hollow introduction leads into yet another example of the singer’s excellent lyricism. Listeners are commanded to pay attention to the dark synth bassline that never backs down, paired with the euphoric language: “Eclipse my expectation / Shock to my heart.”. Hayley Williams sings about the surprise of a successful connection, and we are more convinced of her wisdom the longer we are under the spell of the ethereal tones of this track.
In 2020, Hayley Williams presented the world with a fantastically unique alt/pop album that gained critical acclaim. It even made it onto Billboard’s Top 50 Albums of 2020. For me, it is one of my favourite albums of the past 5 years. But, for anyone yet to make up their mind, you can listen below.
Rating: 9/10
Hayley Williams is on Instagram. Read more anniversary pieces here and stream the project below or buy.
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