Paramore are not broken up, according to Hayley Williams.
Paramore have had a rocky start-stop career, along with numerous line-up changes over the years. Things proved to stabilise with the release of ‘This Is Why’ in February 2023. That album marked the first time the band have consisted of the same members who worked on the album that came before it.
However, with the release of Williams’ latest solo album ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’, fans have picked apart the project’s songs and lyrics and have sparked fears of a Paramore split – especially with the singer now selling ‘Hayley Williams Is My Favourite Band’ t-shirts on her website. Laced throughout the project are cryptic lyrics hinting at a potential breakup between her and Paramore guitarist Taylor York, who she confirmed she was dating in 2022.
Neither Williams nor York have commented on the status of their relationship following the release of ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’, and now the frontwoman has confirmed in an interview with The Face that the band are still together – though they are taking a break right now.
When asked where things stand with the band currently, Williams replied: “Do we ever know where we’re at?! We always take huge breaks. In order for us to metabolise shit that we go through as people, it takes the amount of time it takes between albums.”
She continued: “There are no better musicians in the world than Zac [Farro] and Taylor. There are no better performers than [the touring musicians affectionately known as the] Parafour. It’s just magic, man. I feel such a vindication in knowing that nobody can discount Paramore.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Williams revealed that Paramore were writing material for a new album during their stint on Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and had gone as far as to record demos, but she needed some time to work through her own emotions that resulted in ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’.
‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’ has experienced a rather unique rollout – Williams first previewed 17 songs on her website for a limited time as a surprise project named ‘Ego’. Later, she released all the tracks on streaming platforms as individual singles.
Finally, late last month, she officially packed the songs as the ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’, along with a new 18th track ‘Parachute’. The physical album will be officially released on November 7, and is now available for pre-order here.
NME gave Williams a glowing five-star review for the 17-song collection, which read: “As with almost every era of Hayley Williams’ career, this new release has come with questions about the future of Paramore. The determined lyrics on the tender ‘I Won’t Quit On You’ should be all the reassurance worried fans need, but if that’s not enough, there’s plenty in this brilliant, swaggering new chapter to be excited about. These songs might be about missed second chances, but Williams is certainly making the most of hers.”
