Hayley Williams reveals “most important” Paramore song ever written
Hayley Williams has revealed the song that she considers the “most important” ever written and released by Paramore.
In a new Substack post, the vocalist reflected on the third anniversary of This Is Why, Paramore’s sixth studio album and their final for Atlantic Records.
The ‘Misery Business’ singer wrote, “Since This Is Why was wrapped up, I feel like my relationship to the memory of that album suffered greatly. It has only been recently that I’ve heard a song or watched a video and realised it was indeed our best work.”
Williams had famously shared in the past that her favourite Paramore album was 2017’s After Laughter, which deployed more pop-adjacent sonic techniques and contained the huge commercial hit ‘Hard Times’.
However, Williams has now changed her mind, revealing, “It took the crown and the cake from After Laughter, which I thought would be my favorite of our albums forever and always.”
Williams, who was recently nominated for three Grammys for her 2025 solo release, Ego Death at a Bachelerotte Party, revealed that the last track on the album holds a special place in her heart: “Might as well add here that I believe ‘Thick Skull’ is the most important song we ever made.”
On the track in question, Williams sings, “I am a magnet for broken pieces, I am attracted to broken people, I pick ’em up, and now my fingers are bleeding, and it looks like my fault, and it looks like I’m caught red-handed.”
The alt-rock track builds slowly and bursts into a crescendo, symbolising the rage and madness Williams feels when constantly vilified by an unforgiving industry.
Reflecting on the album at large again, the 37-year-old wrote, “Everyone did their personal best work as Paramore for that album, we played many shows that were career best. There was a lot to celebrate all the time, actually, whether we did or not.”
She went on, “I was able to live up to the personal mission of using our platform to speak to issues that were most pressing at that time. I’m so grateful for everything I learned about the band, myself, and what I do and don’t believe in just in that brief period. It feels like 3 years on, I finally have new perspective on what the album – and all it entailed – actually meant to me as a person.”
Later this year, Williams is set to embark on a sold-out solo tour that will take her across America and Europe.
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