"Petals for Armor" is the first solo studio album by Hayley Williams. It is a combination of the three EPs Petals for Armor I, II & III.
Background[]
“I’m so ready and so incredibly humbled to get to share this project... Making it was a scary, empowering experience. Some of my proudest moments as a lyricist happened while writing ‘PETALS FOR ARMOR.’ And I was able to get my hands a little dirtier than usual when it came to instrumentation. I’m in a band with my favorite musicians so I never really feel the need to step into a role as a player when it comes to Paramore records. This project, however, benefited from a little bit of musical naïveté and rawness and so I experimented quite a bit more. I made this with some of the closest people to me. Their respective talents really shine bright throughout the record. I like to think we all make each other better and the result is something that sounds and FEELS exactly as I’d hoped it would. Now that it’s time to put it all out there, I can finally exhale. I’m excited to let people in to experience a different side of myself that I’ve only very recently become familiar with.” ~ Hayley Williams
The inspiration behind the title according to Hayley Williams is "the best way for me to protect myself is to be vulnerable."
Track Listing[]
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Simmer" | 4:26 |
| 2. | "Leave It Alone" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Cinnamon" | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Creepin" | 2:58 |
| 5. | "Sudden Desire" | 3:07 |
| 6. | "Dead Horse" | 3:19 |
| 7. | "My Friend" | 3:39 |
| 8. | "Over Yet" | 3:58 |
| 9. | "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris" | 5:18 |
| 10. | "Why We Ever" | 4:23 |
| 11. | "Pure Love" | 3:07 |
| 12. | "Taken" | 2:46 |
| 13. | "Sugar on the Rim" | 4:14 |
| 14. | "Watch Me While I Bloom" | 3:44 |
| 15. | "Crystal Clear" | 3:33 |
Japanese Bonus Track
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 16. | Simmer (Caroline Polachek remix) | 3:16 |
Personnel[]
Hayley Williams – vocals (all tracks), guitars (1, 3, 4), keyboards (1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10–13, 15), drums (3)
Aaron Steele – drums (1–12), programming (1), congas (2, 9, 11), percussion (2, 9)
Joey Howard – bass guitar (1–12, 15), keyboards (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12), percussion (2), guitar (4), programming (5, 7)
Taylor York – additional instrumentation (all tracks)
Daniel James – string arrangements (2, 9)
Benjamin Kaufman – violin (2, 9), chin cello (2, 9)
Steph Marziano – keyboards (4, 8), programming (4, 8)
Mike Weiss – additional guitar (4)
Julien Baker – background vocals (9)
Phoebe Bridgers – background vocals (9)
Lucy Dacus – background vocals (9)
Zac Farro - drums (14, 15)
Brian Robert Jones – bass guitar (14)
Rusty Williams – vocals (15), piano (15)
Producers and engineers[]
Taylor York – production
Carlos de la Garza – mixing, engineering, additional production (8, 11, 12, 14, 15)
Dave Cooley – mastering
Michael Craver – mixing assistance, studio assistance
David Fitzgibbons – mixing assistance, studio assistance
Kevin Boettger – studio assistance
Michelle Freetly – studio assistance
Jake Butler – studio assistance
Steph Marziano – additional production (4, 8)
Daniel James – additional production (4–6, 8, 9, 14)
Joey Howard – additional production (7)
Micah Tawlks – additional production (10), engineering (10)
Writers[]
Hayley Williams - all tracks
Taylor York - tracks 1, 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15
Joey Howard - tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12
Steph Marziano - tracks 4, 8, 12
Daniel James - tracks 6, 9, 14
Micah Tawlks - track 10
Rusty Williams - track 15
Artwork[]
Lindsey Byrnes – creative direction, photography
Alex Mata – design, layout
Videos[]
Hayley Williams' "Simmer" & "Cinnamon" Music Video Breakdown - Playback - Harper's BAZAAR
Hayley Williams - Hayley Williams and Zane Lowe "Petals for Armor I" Apple Music Interview
Hayley Williams- Writing ‘Petals for Armor,’ Paramore, and Musical Evolution - Apple Music
Critical Reception[]
The album has been met with critical acclaim gaining an average of 8/10 from most aggregate scores.
| Source | Rating |
|---|---|
| Album of the Year | 81/100 |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10 |
| Metacritic | 84/100 |
| AllMusic | 4.5/5 |
| Clash | 8/10 |
| Consequence of Sound | B+ |
| The Daily Telegraph | 3/5 |
| The Observer | 3/5 |
| The Independent | 4/5 |
| NME | 4/5 |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10 |
| Rolling Stone | 4/5 |
| The Times | 3/5 |
Trivia[]
- Despite being a solo album not related to Paramore, member Taylor York contributed to the album through writing and producing. Paramore Drummer Zac Farro also contributed to the album.
- The album name comes from lyrics in the song "Simmer".
Streaming[]
  |
Petals for Armor |
|---|---|
| Songs | Simmer • Leave It Alone • Cinnamon • Creepin • Sudden Desire • Dead Horse • My Friend • Over Yet • Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris • Why We Ever • Pure Love • Taken • Sugar on the Rim • Watch Me While I Bloom • Crystal Clear |
| Bonus Tracks | Simmer (Carolina Polachek Remix) • Dead Horse (Glass Animals Remix) • Dead Horse (Hot Chip Remix) |
