Hayley Williams

Hayley Williams is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of Paramore. Born on December 27, 1988, in Meridian, Mississippi, she moved to Franklin, Tennessee, as a teenager. There she met musicians who would become her bandmates. Paramore formed in 2004 and released its debut album, All We Know Is Falling, in 2005 through Fueled by Ramen. Williams's powerful voice and vivid stage presence quickly became central to the band's identity within American pop punk music.

Paramore's commercial breakthrough came with Riot! in 2007, featuring “Misery Business,” “crushcrushcrush,” and “That's What You Get.” The band subsequently contributed “Decode” and “I Caught Myself” to the soundtrack of Twilight. Its third album, Brand New Eyes, arrived in 2009 and included “Ignorance,” “Brick by Boring Brick,” and “The Only Exception.” These releases expanded Williams's audience while documenting tensions within the group. Brothers Josh and Zac Farro departed in 2010, although Zac later returned as the band's drummer in 2017.

The group's self-titled fourth album, released in 2013, marked a significant stylistic expansion. “Still Into You” paired buoyant pop hooks with romantic commitment, while “Ain't It Fun” incorporated gospel vocals and became Paramore's first Billboard Hot 100 top-ten single. That song won Best Rock Song at the 2015 Grammy Awards, an honor shared by its writers, Williams and guitarist Taylor York. After Laughter followed in 2017, contrasting bright, new-wave-influenced arrangements with lyrics about depression, exhaustion, insecurity, and pressure to perform.

Williams released her first solo album, Petals for Armor, in 2020. Produced by Taylor York, it explored grief, anger, intimacy, and recovery through songs including “Simmer,” “Dead Horse,” and “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris.” The latter featured backing vocals from Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, the members of boygenius. In 2021, Williams released Flowers for Vases / descansos, a quieter collection recorded at home. She wrote and performed its instrumental parts herself, presenting a more intimate counterpoint to her work with Paramore.

Beyond performing, Williams cofounded the hair color company Good Dye Young with hairstylist Brian O'Connor in 2016. Her collaborations include B.o.B's “Airplanes,” released in 2010, and Zedd's “Stay the Night,” released in 2013. With Paramore, she returned to sharper guitar-driven textures on This Is Why in 2023. At the 2024 Grammys, the record won Best Rock Album, while its title track won Best Alternative Music Performance. Those awards recognized a band still reshaping its sound two decades after its formation.