Hayley Williams Announces Paramore’s Hiatus and Shares What’s Next for the Band

In 2023, Paramore dropped their latest album This Is Why along with its companion remix project Re: This Is Why.

Hayley Williams is opening up about where Paramore currently stands.

In a Thursday, Sept. 4 interview with The Face, the “True Believer” singer confirmed that the pop-punk group is taking a break while also reflecting on what lies ahead.

“Do we ever really know where we’re at?!” joked Williams, 36. “We’ve always taken long breaks.”

She explained that the pauses are necessary: “To process the things we go through as people, it just takes however long it takes between albums.”

Despite her new solo project, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Williams emphasized that Paramore has not split up.

“There aren’t better musicians out there than Zac [Farro] and Taylor [York],” she said of her bandmates. “And the [touring crew nicknamed the] Parafour are unmatched as performers. It’s pure magic.”

Williams said she feels a strong sense of validation in knowing that Paramore’s place in music can’t be dismissed. Still, she noted that working solo has allowed her to develop other creative sides of herself: “It’s really important for me to strengthen those parts I used to suppress because I was afraid people would notice me too much.”

On Aug. 1, Williams surprised fans by uploading 17 tracks to her website before pulling them down. The songs were officially released on Aug. 28 as Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party.

The project, produced entirely by Daniel James, was self-released under Williams’ new label Post Atlantic and distributed by Secretly Distribution.

Across the album’s 17 tracks, Williams not only wrote and recorded but also played multiple instruments, with Brian Robert Jones and Joey Howard contributing to select songs. “True Believer” also features producer Jim-E Stack.

Days before the project dropped, Williams treated fans at the Newport Folk Festival to a surprise performance, debuting the song “Mirtazapine.”