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Hayley Williams invites Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers to sing backup

Hayley Williams' solo debut, 'Petals for Armor,' releases May 8, 2020, on Atlantic Records.
Hayley Williams' solo debut, 'Petals for Armor,' releases May 8, 2020, on Atlantic Records.Lindsey Byrnes

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by Cyrena Touros

March 19, 2020

"I wanted to be part of a family, you know?" Hayley Williams told the New York Times last month, by way of explaining her drive to start the band Paramore 15 years ago.

With "Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris," Williams' latest release from her upcoming solo project, Petal For Armor (due out May 8), she finally had the chance to expand on that idea of musical family by inviting Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers — collectively, the supergroup boygenius — to sing back-up vocals.

It feels like a handshake between past and present, a tangible victory for 16-year-old Williams and all the girls who grew up worshipping her (even if the groove stays subdued and she leaves her signature belt in the overdubs).

If only we could go back and tell ourselves: Yes, Hayley Williams rocks, but so many more are going to.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit www.npr.org.

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