Hayley Williams releases new single, ‘Good Ol’ Days’
Hayley Williams has released another new song, which, seemingly, completes her third solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party.
The new track, ‘Good Ol’ Days’, is a happy-go-lucky, upbeat reflection on a failed relationship. With a SZA-esque cadence, the 36-year-old singer wheels through spiky verses, singing, “When I was a secret, you kept me / Skinny divorcé, do you regret me? / I’m thinking maybe / Should we go back? Stay friends? / Keep all the benefits?”
Williams’ grandfather also appears on the new single via a voice mail recording, in which he says, “You are so tacky / I think that’s why I love you so much / I just had to call you first on my new phone / I love you, y’all have a blast, bye.” Earlier this year, the star helped her grandfather release a full-length album he recorded in the 1970s.
Though many have speculated that the recent album confirms Paramore’s break-up, Williams has reassured fans that the three-piece is simply “on a break”. In the new song, she calls herself “Miss Paramore,” most likely in a nod to criticism she has faced over the years. Recently, she confessed she felt she had been “blamed for all the shit” that led to their various hiatuses.
The song’s chorus sees Williams singing “Who knew the hard times / Were the good ol’ days?” in reference to Paramore’s tune ‘Hard Times’, which was released in 2017. The powerhouse vocalist recently shared the stage with David Byrne, her longtime collaborator, which saw the pair covering it together.
In a recent interview, the Paramore vocalist reflected on the project as a whole, sharing, “I made this record, and it kind of feels like it just exploded out. It does feel right to put it out under my name. But I think I have to exercise saying that I feel like it’s the last record I’ll do under my name, and I feel proud of that.”
The new album marks her third solo work, following 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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