Maps of Music
Petals for Armor (2020)
Where the lyrics of Petals for Armor take you, and where it was really made.
Written during Paramore's hiatus, this debut solo album came out in 2020 while the tour planned to support it was canceled by the pandemic.
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East Iris Studios, Nashville (2020)
Recording site East Iris Recording Studio — The album's recording credits list East Iris Studios in Nashville as a recording location. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Sunset Sound, Los Angeles (2020)
Recording site Sunset Sound — The track Watch Me While I Bloom was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and at Music Friends. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Petals for Armor: debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Hayley Williams
- Released May 8, 2020 by Atlantic Records
- Preceded by two EPs, Petals for Armor I and Petals for Armor II, which make up the album's first ten songs
- Williams says the title comes from her belief that being vulnerable is the best way to protect herself
- Produced by Paramore bandmate Taylor York
- Written throughout 2019 during Paramore's hiatus
- Largely a soft pop and R&B-influenced album, exploring R&B, funk, and pop
Background
- Written after Paramore's extensive touring for their fifth studio album, After Laughter (2017)
- Williams said Paramore was not breaking up but needed time away from writing and touring
- In a January 2020 BBC Radio interview, Williams explained her process for developing the album
- Lead single Simmer was released in January 2020 with its music video
- A tour for the album was planned to begin in mid-2020, then postponed and canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Recording
- Recording credits list East Iris Studios in Nashville
- The track Watch Me While I Bloom was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and at Music Friends
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org
Artist
Formation
- Hayley Nichole Williams, born December 27, 1988 in Meridian, Mississippi; moved to Franklin, Tennessee after her parents' divorce in 2002.
- Discovered in 2003 by managers Dave Steunebrink and Richard Williams; signed to Atlantic Records by Jason Flom.
- Insisted on forming a band rather than becoming a solo pop artist, leading to the formation of Paramore.
Members
- Williams is the lead vocalist and founding member of Paramore, with Josh Farro, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis as original members.
- Current lineup consists of Williams, Zac Farro, and Taylor York; Williams is the only member to appear on all six studio albums.
Career
- Paramore has released six studio albums, including All We Know Is Falling (2005) and This Is Why (2023).
- Won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song with Taylor York for "Ain't It Fun".
- Released solo albums Petals for Armor (2020), Flowers for Vases / Descansos (2021), and Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (2025), the last earning three Grammy nominations.
- Collaborated with B.o.B, Zedd, Chvrches, American Football, Turnstile, Moses Sumney, and David Byrne.
- Founded the hair dye company Good Dye Young in 2016.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Petals for Armor was met with critical acclaim in professional reviews
- Hot Press's Lucy O'Toole said the album largely defies genre classification and carves out an art-pop sound drawing from R&B, despite sharing some elements with Paramore's pop-punk
- Pitchfork's Jenn Pelly described the album as introspective art-pop songs
- Clash's Sam Walker-Smart observed that the final third of the album is poppier than the rest
- Spin's Jolie Lash said the album never quite returns to another genre by the time Williams embodies 1980s-influenced R&B on Pure Love
- The New York Times' Caryn Ganz described the album as far removed from the crunchy guitars and bouncy new wave of After Laughter
- Rolling Stone Australia described the album as containing remnants of the disco-funk grooves from After Laughter
Reappraisal
- Metacritic average of 83 out of 100 from 22 professional reviews, indicating universal acclaim
- Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? rated it 8.1 out of 10 based on its assessment of the critical consensus
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus of the band Boygenius provide background vocals on Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris.
- Kristen Stewart was set to direct a music video for Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris, but the plans fell through due to the pandemic.
- Williams announced the lead single Simmer on her birthday in December 2019 and said it would come out in January 2020.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org
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