Paramore singer Hayley Williams isn’t any stranger to collaboration, nevertheless it needs to be the correct prospect for her to simply accept the chance. Lately, Williams has turned down a number of big names and solely works with the artists she genuinely adores.
In 2020, Williams defined why she turned down a collaboration with rapper Lil Uzi Vert, regardless of the excessive possibilities of the observe being commercially profitable. Williams instructed Apple Music’s Zane Lowe: “I keep in mind, too, Uzi asking me to do some stuff with him, and I do know that followers are going to be so pissed at me for saying this, however I actually wrote him again on Instagram, and I used to be like, ‘Buddy, I really like you a lot, however I don’t need to be that well-known.’ Instructed him like we have been on the brink of take a break.”
The Paramore singer continued: “I clearly had quite a lot of points happening that nobody actually knew about, and I used to be like, ‘Bro, I simply have to disappear. I don’t need to be that sort of a well-known particular person.’ As a result of that’s … He’s like a giant artist, man. My stepbrother is obsessive about them. He was pissed after I instructed him the story.”
Williams’ argument for refusing to work with Lil Uzi Vert is refreshing and reveals the place her priorities lie. Relatively than chase clout by aligning herself with widespread stars, Williams places her artistry first, which stays the one criterion she considers relating to collaboration.
In her youthful days, Williams featured on the B.o.B. hit single, ‘Airplanes’, which topped the charts in the UK. She additionally appeared on an EDM observe by Zedd, however neither music precisely represented her as a musician. Whereas the pop route may have been extra fruitful financially for Williams, it’s not the street for her.
As an alternative, she now solely works with musicians on her wavelength, corresponding to Julien Baker. The pair see the world by means of an identical lens, and after an opportunity encounter at a live performance, Williams moved to collaborate with Baker. To her delight, Baker recommended that her Boygenius bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus additionally contribute to the creation.
Williams proudly instructed Stereogum: “Having them on certainly one of my songs was such an honour to me. I pinched myself as a result of I’m like, man, what did I do to deserve that stage of… they’re simply so proficient they usually observe their harmonies stay collectively and simply… they simply did the factor. They simply did the Boygenius factor and it was so fucking good.”
Elaborating on how the collaboration was birthed, Williams stated: “Once I bumped into her, in all probability six months later at our pal Becca Mancari’s present on the Ryman, I used to be like, ‘What are you doing? I haven’t seen you in so lengthy. I actually need you to come back sing on the music that I wrote.’ And it’s about girls appreciating our uniquenesses and our variations and preventing any types of comparability and all that. I used to be like, ‘I’d love one other pal to be on it.’
“And he or she was like, ‘Oh my God, Lucy’s right here too.’ And Lucy walks up like she appeared out of nowhere. After which she was like, ‘Sure, I need to do it,’ and ‘Phoebe is available in tomorrow’ and it was stunning. It was actually like kismet, you realize, it was sort of actually meant to be. I simply am tremendous honoured.”
Williams’ observe ‘Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris’ is every little thing a collaboration needs to be. If Boygenius need to recruit a fourth member in the event that they ever make a second album, they needn’t look any additional than the Paramore vocalist, who shares a charming chemistry with the trio. Take heed to their joint creation beneath.
