Hayley Williams “blacked out” while performing on stage with PinkPantheress
Hayley Williams has admitted that she once “blacked out” on stage while performing alongside PinkPantheress.
The British musician Pinkpantheress, real name Victoria Beverley Walker, first entered Williams’ radar after she sampled an early Paramore song, ‘Never Let Me Go’, in her 2022 song, ‘Where You Are’. Walker has repeatedly cited Paramore as an early influence on her sound.
That same year, Paramore performed at the Austin City Limits Festival, where they played ‘Misery Business‘ for the huge crowd, and invited Pinkpantheress to join them on stage.
What looked like a heartwarming moment to all of the fans in attendance, with Pinkpantheress tearing up during the song, was not so enjoyable for the frontwoman.
Williams admitted to Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast: “I blacked out on stage at ACL [Austin City Limits] the last album cycle.”
She continued, “PinkPantheress was on stage singing Misery Business [and] I had this moment where I was like, ‘I just went out for two minutes and I came out.’ Turns out I was sick.”
Elsewhere in their chat, Williams opened up about her mental health struggles, which have been at the centre of many of her songs. For example, her solo hit ‘Dead Horse’ begins with a voicemail Williams sent to her manager, admitting “I’ve been in a depression…”
Nevertheless, the 2013 song, ‘Last Hope’, describes her clinging to optimism. She shared, “I just remember writing it and being like, ‘This is so sad,’ and unfortunately, that is how I feel.”
She went on to note, “I’ve really struggled with my mental health. I’ve wanted to not be here plenty of times. That song kinda expressed that in the moment for me.”
Williams expressed gratitude for her connection with fans when she performs live, but admitted, “Joy is a tough emotion for me because I don’t trust it. I always think the piano is going to fall from the sky.”
She added, “I think that’s why Paramore shows, at least for me, feel so joyous. I’m relying on a lot of other things. I’m not thinking so much about my own experience. When we can transcend our own experience, for me joy becomes more tangible.”
Williams recently secured four Grammy nominations for her latest album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, which followed 2020’s Petals for Armor and 2021’s Flowers for Vases. Far Out deemed Williams’ new offering “an incredible hour-long project overflowing with unique lyricism and boundless energy.”
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