Hayley Williams 'Flowers For Vases': Release date, concept, clues and all you need to know about Paramore singer's solo mystery album
News of Hayley Williams' new solo studio album has been floating around the Internet for some time already, but it looks like the Paramore singer is solidifying an imminent release date with several cryptic teasers.
Additionally, fans have spotted a number of clues and hints. There are many theories out there, but some of them actually hold weight, so here's what we know so far.
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According to Alternative Press, fans began receiving mysterious packages from Williams - some including various doll parts inside that correspond back to audio of her saying “my limb.” Additionally, Williams posted another cryptic clue that eventually led to the release of her new song 'My Limb'. The singer hand-delivered a CD with 'My Limb' on it to a fan’s Nashville home and asked them to leak the new track to the whole world.
did hayley williams drive to your house and drop off a candle and a cd with her new song on it or are you having a normal night
— carly butler (@ylrac) January 29, 2021
One of the surprise packages also included flowers and vinyl of an unreleased song, which was sent to a fan on Twitter, named @ode2trees, on February 2. The user then posted a clip of the song while sharing a note that came with the gift which reads, "flowers for your vases."
when hayley williams asks you for your address, you simply give it to her. thank you @yelyahwilliams for the 12 black roses 🖤 no one has ever sent me flowers before. i love them 🥺 pic.twitter.com/pPYflOKwfz
— spooky natalie (@ode2trees) February 3, 2021
Additionally, if you hop onto Hayley Williams' official website, it directs you to flowersforvases.com.
Release date
When it comes to the release date, Williams hasn't confirmed anything yet, but the new album is already up on lyrics website Genius. According to the website, 'Flowers For Vases' is due out on Friday, February 5, and they have also updated the album listing with the reported tracklisting.
Concept
Earlier in January, Williams first teased her new era when she shared a short video on her social media. In the video, Williams is seen wearing a pair of headphones and says, “We don’t need drums if this is my folklore," referring to Taylor Swift's 2020 LP. Bear in mind, Williams is comparing the music she is working on to a full-length album, further confirming that her new music is an album and not just a few singles or an EP.
Regarding the sound of 'Flowers For Vases', the nod to 'Folklore' could imply a few things: that it would adopt a similar sound (presumable elements of folk music) or that Williams is going to make a significant change to her style. If we're taking the aesthetics of her new teasers into account, Williams might be adding a cryptic sense or horror-inspired style to her new music. More on this below.
Later in January, Williams may have dropped a hint about what the album is all about when she shared a text message on her Instagram Stories that talks about letting go of past trauma and fear:
“Letting go is not the same as aversion, struggling to get rid of something. We cannot genuinely let go of what we resist. What we resist and fear secretly follows us even as we push it away. To let go of our fear or trauma, we need to acknowledge just how it is. We need to feel it fully and accept that it is so. It is as it is. Letting go begins with letting be.”
Hints and clues
First, let's look at one of the more mysterious clues to her new project. If you're on the flowersforvases.com site, you'll be introduced to a black and white animation of a cross, flowers and candles. An audio clip also plays out with Williams singing “my limb” over and over again. The singer has reportedly released a song titled 'My Limb' after she hand-delivered a CD of the song to a fan’s Nashville home and asked them to leak the new track to the whole world.
The clock is ticking ⏰#flowersforvaseshttps://t.co/b8EqBletRv pic.twitter.com/f6TMt0LSvh
— Paramore-Music.com (@paramoremusicom) January 22, 2021
Looking at Williams' Instagram account, and she has posted several strange images and captions. For example, one of them is a black-and-white picture of a hand being sawn off with the caption "dont give me the tourniquet." Another features a wardrobe with haunting eyes peering through the glass and its caption “all my demons on display”.
Fans believe the notes are lyrics from songs on the album, Williams has a history of captioning her social media posts with unreleased lyrics. Before the release of her lead single 'Simmer' from her debut LP 'Petals For Armor', she shared an Instagram photo with lyrics from the song, and she did the same thing just before releasing 'My Limb'.