Hayley Williams Enlists boygenius for New Song “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris”
Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker join the Paramore vocalist.
Hayley Williams' full-length debut, Petals for Armor, isn't out until May, but the Paramore vocalist has already shared quite a bit of the highly-anticipated project.
She shared five songs earlier this year, and has blessed our social distancing playlists with another tune today. "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris" features backup vocals from boygenius, the fabulous indie-folk trio composed of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. Written by Williams and Paramore bandmate Taylor York, "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris" further deviates from their pop-punk origins. A jazzy drum beat and rhythmic bassline drive the track, as sweeping strings add a cinematic touch.
"Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris" turns the idea of beauty standards on its head. "I have seen your body / And I have seen your beauty / They are separate things / Pretty pretty things," Williams sings in its opening lines, likening herself to her own blooming garden. The chorus offers a useful metaphor—"Roses show no concern for colors of a Violet"—to assure us that one woman's beauty doesn't detract from that of another, and both can have their place to blossom. "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris" is a subtle declaration of confidence, of appreciating one's own beauty as it coexists with others.
Listen below.