Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor (May 8, 2020) Album • Page 22

I am so mad I typed up a whole analysis and feeling abt this and accidentally deleted it and had to go to work so stay tuned for uhhhh later after work when I can write it out again

 

Name a more iconic duo. I'll wait.

 

apparently it's technically caps lock also, Hayley Williams - PETALS FOR ARMOR

 

That second verse is the standout of the song. Lyrically it is very good and nice to see her explore what's been going on in Hayley's life directly, outwith the walls of Paramore.

There's been a lot of musical comparisons thrown about in this thread and very surprised not to see Billie Eilish, in sound and in visual. It's definitely not Radiohead, Foals I can understand from the drums. I'll add ANONHI to the mix, because there's a lot of that weirdness in it.

Personally, I'm not sure on it. The vocals are very insular and I think it makes me disappointed because I know how strong a voice she has on Paramore's more atmospheric songs. I'll definitely give the full album a chance though because when Now got released as a single for Paramore's S/T, I didn't think I would care for it and I like that album and that song on repeated listens. Maybe it'll make more sense for me within a body of work.

 

Hmm, I love Billie Eilish but this doesn't really remind me of her music at all. I can kind of see how Hayley's use of falsetto and a darker vibe than typical Paramore could remind someone of her tho.

Speaking of which, I looove Hayley's falsetto in this.

 

Yeah I think the comparison to Billie Eilish is lazy tbh. Musically, it's not really in the same lane and I see the comparison to Radiohead and Thom Yorke as more apt even though it's def pretty different from that too

 

So here’s the thing about this song



it is very good

 

It’s really nice to see the band so supportive of this

 

After quite a few listens, I've started to hear "Kevin!" instead of "Give in" before the chorus. I can't un-hear it.

Damn you Kevin.

 

I've seen 3 people on twitter say Simmer sounds like Meg Myers. I'll have to give it a shot.

 

okay here we go. i have a few different/converging thoughts on this.

one, it's so fucking refreshing to see her just let it go and be fucking angry. jesus i can't imagine how angry she must be to be working through some of this shit in therapy, thinking about spending ten years in a situation that was clearly not good for her and never for her benefit. i think throughout her career, hayley has been lauded for being "graceful" or "optimistic" when painted in the worst of lights and that can be fine for awhile but there's a certain tragedy that comes with realizing that being eternally forgiving and kind doesn't mean you'll get the same given back to you. i think that due to the circumstances of how her most prolific relationship started, there was always going to be a pressure to act like everything was perfect and amazing, even if the roots were rotten.

i already see people trying to be like "well they said they ended on good terms!" and honestly, as someone who escaped a shitty, emotionally manipulative and outright abusive relationship, i remember the added pain of having to try and explain to everything that i had been lying to them - partially to protect them, partially to escape my shame. i truly can't wait to hear how she exorcises these demons. if it feels half as raw as this song, it is going to be an incredible ride.

away from her personal life, i find it so cathartic to see someone like hayley, who was cut off from any potential female friends and allies in the early stages of her career, embrace femininity and softness as a weapon. you can be so angry and still refuse to let the world harden you into a cynical rock. she has truly been a hero in this industry and i feel like now she will continue to surround herself with strong female influences and collaborators. i know she's spoken before about how she felt like she couldn't have that because she had to be one of the boys to command respect, and i hope that seeing her embrace this side means that no other girl in a band ever has to feel so isolated again.

hayley is someone i have so much respect and love for. i feel like i've grown up alongside her, and seeing this continued evolution is really something special. stepping into her own name and her own artistic power after seeming so defeated in the lyrics of "after laughter" has me so ready to hear the rest of this. i hope she really does gut him because i'm sick of toxic men in pop punk bands getting a free pass to prey on teenagers and warp their lives. i'm sick of everyone pretending that there isn't something seriously wrong with the way girls are caught up by men with guitars promising them the world. i think hayley is truly one of the greatest artists of our time and that she and paramore as a collective are the absolute best band to come out of this scene and that she has the power to take the powers that be out at the knees.

tl;dr let's fucking go i will ride or die for hayley eternally

 

GOD i totally forgot to even touch on this but like, women are asked so often to just let things slide and be cool, especially in this scene and it really is such a difficult learning process to figure out how to act and when to choose wrath or mercy ok GOODNIGHT love u all

 

Blown away by the track! I really know nothing about what Hayley's been through but from some of your comments it sounds like she was in a long term and very toxic relationship.

Some of the instrumental reminds me of the song "Lit Me Up" by a band that is not to be named. I could be wrong because it's been so long since I've listened and I refuse to go back and listen to check.

Anyway, I'm excited for the rest of the album for sure now and Simmer will get a ton of spins for me.

 

this song is extremely good

 

This is cool.

It's not like some gripping, mind-blowing, thing...but it's solid. I think it's a very nice first debut solo-track.

It's not trying too hard, it's just doing it's thing.

I'm interested to hear what the entire album sounds like now. If it's all subdued like this...I'd be down with that.

 

I had to wait all day at work to come home and listen to this track, and it is so good. I am floored

 

Yep I thought the same because of the menacing tone in her delivery

 

Hate to be that guy, but what is dis hunny

Listen to “Simmer” by Hayley Williams

 

Can we not be the kind of insecure community that gets their jimmies rustled when others don’t enjoy what we do?

 

ok

edit: I mean, I get the point but the condescension isn't it, and it was just in jest

 

yeah I mean that's pretty good by pitchfork's standards. by that I mean there's no astoundingly tone-deaf and damagingly phrased judgement calls on her mental health, so... progress?

 

Saw this and was like, 'oh, that's progress for Ian Cohen' without clicking through.