My (Healthy) Obsession With Hayley Williams.. Studied
"dear Hayley, I wrote to you but you still ain't callin'."
I’ve been riding with Paramore since the early days of All We Know Is Falling on whatever MP3 player I owned. What started as a teenage crush grew into a deep-rooted connection to her journey, built on seeing parts of myself reflected in the way she’s moved through life, art, and growth. How can you not with her insanely gifted pipes, the looks, the charisma, and infectious personality? But there’s more to it than that for me.
What made me more fond of Hayley was that she and I are the same age who grew up in a similar way, which was in front of the public eye ( with me being in a much smaller underground scale) through music. I was also an aspiring musician at the time who always had the pressure from their peers to be the next “this and that”. I craved the lifestyle of popularity, recognition and packed schedules early on, but became sickened by it as I grew older, like Hayley. I related, even though of course, she has been doing it in front of the entire world!
As I went through identity crisis, heartbreak, mental health, and everything else someone in their teens to 20s does, Hayley was doing the same. We both grew up with music being the only expression. My growth as a person just happened to be always in the exact wavelength as hers within every release, therefore felt like a friend I’ve never met but understood me. But not on some creepy “Stan” shit. I swear I’m not about to write her a letter!
…Hayley Williams never stopped being real. And for an artist of her calibre, that’s extremely rare.
First, The Evolution
Hayley Williams’ voice is a once-in-a-generation kind of instrument—equal parts soul and punk grit. The way she incorporates emotion with technical mastery is INSANE.
While the range makes her unforgettable, it’s also her passion. In a genre often defined by theatrics and personas, from the spunky scream queen of Riot! to the emotionally intricate storytelling of Brand New Eyes and the genre-blurring ambition of Self Titled album in 2013. After Laughter in 2017 (my favourite Paramore album) marked a turning point: gone were the walls of distortion, replaced by 80’s synths and confessions about depression, divorce and her burnout from fame.
Her solo work took that honesty even deeper, peeling back the armour with tracks like “Simmer” and “Dead Horse.” In a world obsessed with polish, Hayley’s greatest strength has always been her willingness to show the cracks.
For more on technique:
Why The ‘Hayley Williams’ Brand Works
Check out this creator’s TikTok clip, which is what got the conversation going for me that led to this blog:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMSkS7nMM/
We’re in a time where artists treat subcultures like outfits—try them on, get the clicks, move on. 2020’s TikTok era MGK is a prime example: cheap pop-punk cosplay for the algorithm. Hot pink guitars, see-through angst, and an overall attempt to display every cliche of alternative culture for those who don’t understand it. While the positive outcome was bringing new ears to the genre, in some ways, it was still a toxic representation of the subcultures.
Hayley Williams is the opposite.
Paramore’s Legacy
When the emo revival hit those years, everyone expected her to lean into nostalgia. Instead, Paramore dropped This Is Why (2023)—a sharp, post-punk-inspired album pulling from Talking Heads, Bloc Party, and even Fleetwood Mac. The album doesn't chase clout or resolution; it sits in the discomfort, the contradictions, the quiet anger of adulthood. It’s not about proving they can still create emo classics like a Riot! 2.0.
Hayley doesn’t just borrow from scenes. She absorbs them. She learns, listens, GETS INVOLVED. And that’s how it translates those influences through her lens. She’s never tried to remix other people’s brands into fashion or cherry-pick an aesthetic algorithm. Her style and sound evolve with integrity, not for attention. And there’s something very transparent about it whenever she incorporates a new style into her music or fashion.
This Is Why I Still Care
Because she doesn’t just perform, she’s proof that you can grow up in front of the world without (pardon the cliche) selling your soul. That you can evolve without erasing your past, displayed by how they’ll still play “Misery Business” while adding the context that they are very much different people from it. That you can be influenced without being a vulture.
I had the privilege of seeing Paramore live during their This Is Why tour in 2023, and after attending over 200 concerts, I can confidently say they rank among my top five live bands.
As a fan of similar age who’s grown up right alongside her, to me, Hayley's music isn’t just nostalgia, it’s a soundtrack to my adolescence and now in my 30s. And as much of a fan I am, I do predict (and hope) she’ll decide to step away soon to embrace a quieter, family-centred life that she always dreamed of.
Thank you for reading! Let’s discuss in the comments, Cheers.
I like this article and I rarely see people writing about their (healthy) obsessions with celebrities. I miss the days when it was pretty normal to have a musician in whom you really see yourself, for whom you'd want to join a fan club, to whom you'd write a letter, etc. Without the being a creepy
"stan" or anything worse.
I've definitely had thoughts of writing something similar about the evolution of Paramore's music. I agree that it's rare to find a famous person who seems as genuine as Hayley, and I love how her music both as a solo artist and in the band has stayed real while still changing, just like people do.
Such a great article! Thank you for articulating my thoughts into your writing lol just everything about Hayley speaks integrity! As what Chris Liepe said with Hayley's vocals, "she abandons herself in character," but in the most human way possible!