Hayley Williams Unleashes “Cinnamon” & ‘Petals For Armor I’ EP

We’ve had a few whirlwind weeks of solo music from Hayley Williams. It culminates today with her new 5-song EP, Petals For Armor I, our first taste of her full Petals For Armor album, due out May 8th. In addition to “Simmer” and “Leave It Alone,” the EP includes three other songs: “Cinnamon,” “Creepin,'” and “Sudden Desire.” The first one also comes with a music video, which finishes out the story arc started in “Simmer.”

“Cinnamon” was written by Hayley and Taylor York of Paramore; Taylor also produced. Upon releasing “Cinnamon,” Hayley said, “I love this song so much – for now, I just want you to know it’s an ode to my home.”

“Cinnamon” starts with prominent percussion and an unconventional sung melody, “ahhh” made stranger with vocal effects. With drums and blips as her backdrop, Hayley sings of the emptiness in her home. She’s almost alone, apart from her dog. The eerie “ahh” serves as the first chorus, and energy builds up as we move into the second verse. The next time we hear the chorus, murmurs of “Cinnamon” fill in the extra space. A gentle bridge adds dynamism to the song, introducing higher vocals from Hayley that dominate the rest of the tune.

Its music video, directed by Warren Fu, follows the story line from “Simmer,” “Simmer Interlude,” “Leave It Alone,” and “Leave It Alone Interlude.” In “Cinnamon,” we watch as our reborn Hayley opens the door and rediscovers her home. But not all is as it seems. As Hayley makes her way downstairs, we start to see mysterious, camouflaged figures lurking behind her. Are they real, or just in her head? While they start off as an unsettling presence, they help Hayley in her final transition. By the end of the video, Hayley is dressed in vibrant colors, dancing around, and looking more confident and assured than ever. Transformation complete.

Watch the music video for “Cinnamon” below:

Hayley wrote “Creepin'” with Joey Howard and Steph Marziano. Taylor York produced it. The song starts off with a sound of rain, Hayley crooning over bass about poor little vampire babies. It sounds serene enough, until its chorus hits. Low, distorted vocals ask, “So why you creepin’ ’round here?” as kinetic keys and guitar add texture underneath. It’s a surprising track, and perhaps the most fun on the EP.

The last song on the EP is “Sudden Desire,” written by Hayley and Joey and produced by Taylor. Over dark bass, Hayley sings about wanting to kiss a man outside his house. It moves into a robotic and moody chorus, but belts of “a sudden desire” in the background make it feel like the most Paramore track here. In an interview with Zane Lowe earlier this week, we learned that this song will get a music video directed by Paramore drummer Zac Farro.

You can listen to all three new songs – plus “Simmer” and “Leave It Alone” – in the Petals For Armor I EP, available now. Stream or download the EP from all the major music platforms here. Listen to the full release below:

 

Our guess is that we’ll get one more EP between now and May, with the full album including a final batch of new songs. Petals For Armor – the complete album – will come out on May 8th.

Petals For Armor Album Cover

In addition to the new EP and music video, Hayley also unveiled the official album cover art for Petals For Armor. That is, the full album coming out this May. The photo and art direction are by Lindsey Byrnes.

Check it out:

 

Touring & Paramore’s Future

Hayley will tour for her solo album. She hasn’t yet given details on where or when, but stay tuned for more announcements on that in the coming months.

Hayley has also confirmed that Paramore is not over. They will make music together again, though it probably won’t sound like her forthcoming solo material. In any case, Hayley indicated that this solo album is an important step that will only help the band grow.

More Paramore & Hayley Williams News

Petals For Armor

Enjoy Petals For Armor I. It’s an excellent EP, and the five new songs paint a whole new direction for Hayley Williams. Her upcoming debut solo album, Petals For Armor, will be available on May 8th. After that, fans can see her on tour.

Also enjoy the music video for “Cinnamon.” It’s the final part of the series started with “Simmer” and continued with “Leave It Alone” and their two interludes.

Stay tuned for more news on Petals For Armor – including full tracklisting and more singles and videos. Keep checking back here for all the latest Hayley Williams music news.

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