The alt-rock band’s frontwoman details her passion for having diverse crowds and how Stevie Wonder inspired one of their biggest hits.
Ask any group of Black millennials or even Gen Z, who their favorite rock band is, and one name might come up every time: Paramore.
The band‘s frontwoman, Hayley Williams, is no stranger to being outspoken about their connection with Black fans and how their shows welcome a sense of community. In a sitdown with the New York Times‘ Popcast, Williams discussed the band’s reach, the diversity of their fan base and her beliefs as to why Paramore’s music reaches everyone.
“I do think that having songs like ‘Ain’t It Fun,’ when Taylor and I were writing that, we were playing these synth parts and going, ‘It’s like Stevie Wonder, you know?’” she said. “We were referencing Black artists only when we were putting that particular song together.”
She added, “I do think the amount of space we decided we were OK taking up and the places we were OK showing up in, just let different people that hadn’t really been privy to what we were doing or what we were about feel a little more welcome to come into the show. The music gives them a space and makes them feel a part of something. That’s the only feeling I’ve wanted since I was a kid in Mississippi. I just wanted to feel a part of something and feel safe in it.”
Williams says she noticed the shift of Black fans becoming big-time Paramore fans around 2013 and the release of their self-titled album, which placed them in different rooms, festivals, and more.
“I’m very passionate that … we’ve got a long way to go to make people believe that they belong in the world. I think music is not only the easiest, but the most beautiful way to tap into people’s hearts and their subconscious and change their minds.”
Williams isn’t shy about calling out certain things when she sees them. In the same interview, she called out country singer Morgan Wallen, who infamously used the N-word in a 2021 viral video. On “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” from her recently released solo album, Williams sings, “the biggest star / At this racist country singer’s bar”. When asked who the lyric was referencing in particular, she told the Popcast hosts, “It could be a couple, but I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen, I don’t give a s–t.”
Watch the video for “Ain’t It Fun” with that funky, gospel-like bridge below.
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