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Entertainment August 3, 2017
She's got some killer pipes and a big heart.
Hayley Williams is the lead vocalist of the punk-pop band, Paramore. And after today, she may just be your next girl crush.
Her musical range and neon hair have kept her in the spotlight since the band began. But she’s so much more than her powerful vocals.
Here are five things you should know about Hayley Williams.
Before Paramore, several record labels expressed interest in signing Williams as a solo artist. However, she was determined to play in a band. At the age of 16, Williams was signed to Atlantic Records and her other Paramore bandmates were signed to the niche label Fueled by Ramen.
Since becoming the lead singer for Paramore, her popularity has only grown. She was even featured on the hook of the single “Airplanes,” which was wildly popular in 2010. At one point, it made it to number two on the Top 40 Charts.
On several occasions, though, she has been pushed to become a solo artist. The esteemed Atlantic Records executive Lyor Cohen offered Williams a chance to write with Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, but she firmly declined the opportunity.
She told The Fader that becoming a mainstream solo star does not appeal to her. She went on to say, “I don’t know if I would be able to face thousands of people if I couldn’t look to my left and my right and behind me, and realize that I’m surrounded by people who know exactly who I am.”
If a cross tattoo on the thigh tells you anything, Williams is open about being Christian. However, she takes issue with the judgmental attitude she often sees within the religious community.
The band Paramore began in Nashville, Tennessee. Paramore’s drummer, Zac Farro, told The Fader that the image of the band sometimes clashes with the values of the Bible Belt they all grew up in. In fact, Jac Farro and lead guitarist Josh Farro left the band in 2010 partially over religious disagreements with Williams.
Zac told The Rolling Stone, “Hayley presented lyrics to us that were really negative and we didn’t agree with.” For example, the lyric, “The truth never set me free” contradicts the bible verse that says, “The truth shall set you free.”
Though all the band members are Christian, Hayley Williams seems to have a less rigid take on religion.
Hayley Williams likes to regularly rock bold neon hair colors. She was a redhead as a child, but as she grew older, it has changed into a dirty blonde shade.
She is mostly seen as being a redhead, but recently she bleached her hair. Williams claimed in an interview with Fuse that she tends to change her hair when she is undergoing emotional turmoil.
For Hayley Williams, bleaching her hair served as a “reset,” in a sense. The singer-songwriter went on to say that changing her appearance on a regular basis stops her from living in the past.
Despite her recent makeover, Williams still has a passion for hair. She has her own hair dye company called goodDYEyoung, so even when she isn’t rocking colorful locks, her clients can.
When she was 18 years old, Hayley Williams met her future husband Chad Gilbert backstage during Warped Tour. Gilbert is the lead guitarist for the rock band Newfound Glory, and the couple bonded over their love of angsty music.
After dating for eight years, the duo tied the knot in February 2016. Sadly, the couple recently filed for divorce in June 2017. While announcing their separation, Chad Gilbert posted on Instagram that “marriage is not for the faint of heart.” The couple, however, attests that they are still good friends, despite the heartbreak.
Since Paramore began in 2004, the band has openly supported the charity To Write Love on Her Arms. This is a non-profit that strives to inspire those dealing with addiction, self-harm, depression and suicidal thoughts to seek help.
Hayley Williams has been one of the organization’s greatest spokespeople. She regularly sports their t-shirts at shows and she appears on the group’s promo cards. The band also participated in the TWLOHA suicide prevention video.
Mental health is very close to Williams’ heart because she has personally struggled with depression. When she was a teenager, she decided to be homeschooled due to bullying. However, this was not just a childhood problem for the Paramore vocalist.
She disclosed that, in the last couple years, she has been struggling with depression. At times, she made her therapist uncomfortable with her fixation on death. She told The Fader that she felt as though everything was pointless and she wishes it would all just stop.
Hayley Williams is not just an advocate for suicide prevention. She is a survivor. She realizes the importance of advocating for mental health awareness, and she is certainly doing her part.
We all know Hayley Williams from Paramore, but it is the woman off-stage who truly rocks.
She questions the world around her and refuses to become mainstream just to fit in. Not to mention, she is an outspoken advocate for mental health issues.
Her red hair and killer pipes may won everyone’s attention, but it is her sincerity as an artist and a woman that steals won their hearts.