Hayley Williams unveils powerful boygenius collab “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris”

We have less than two months until Hayley Williams drops her debut solo album, Petals For Armor. But the Paramore frontwoman is definitely holding fans over as she continues to release new music before then with her boygenius collab marking the latest.

Williams first teased the matchup on International Women’s Day by sharing the lyrics for what would become “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris.”

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“Happy women’s day,” she tweeted. “In honor of my personal journey through femininity, with its endless facets; and in honor of the feminine wonder that connects literally everyone and everything, I want to share lyrics for an unreleased song called ‘Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris.’”

https://twitter.com/yelyahwilliams/status/1236654143303036928

On Wednesday night, Williams teased the collab would be arriving soon with a studio pic with boygenius: Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.

“Please allow me to allow you to look forward to a new song called ‘ROSES/LOTUS/VIOLET/IRIS’ with [background vocals] from the boy geniuses themselves @julienrbaker @lucydacus @_fake_nudes_ (ps guys, why are you all murdering me with your eyes in the only pic i have of us together in the studio?).”

The vocalist also elaborated on the status of Petals For Armor and adjusted plans regarding Petals For Armor II EP.

Read more: Hayley Williams reiterates “Misery Business” has no place in 2020

“I wanted to drop a line really quick to give an update about my upcoming album, PETALS FOR ARMOR, and what’s going on with my music in light of the effect of COVID-19,” Williams wrote on the post’s second slide. “I had planned on dropping another EP’s worth of songs this week but after a couple of days of thinking about it, I just don’t feel comfortable going through with that plan anymore. My reason being that just like everyone else, I feel a lot of anxiety right now; Worries about what’s happening in the world affects my friends, my family, my peers in music, fans I’ve gotten to know because of music, and of course, how it affects my own mental well-being.

“It feels like a huge weight to put out five songs all at once. There are sensitive topics for me in some of these songs. Since the immediate future is just a bit uncertain, I want this second set of songs to take up space and allow me opportunities to connect with people consistently and (hopefully) comfortably, not all at once, in an overwhelming heap. So the new plan is to release each song from Petals For Armor II individually—in a similar way to how I released EP1. My hope is that in doing this, there will be something new to look forward to as the strange days roll by. As always, I want people to be able to take time to get to know each song and I’m really hoping to find creative ways to introduce them to you over the weeks to come. Man, I also just really hope that stretching things out this way keeps me creative and connected enough to stay positive and hopeful amidst uncertainties.”

Read more: Hayley Williams says “believe victims” amid Harvey Weinstein sentencing

“I hope that wherever you are, whoever you’re with or without…you’re finding your own space to get quiet, create, rest or connect. I hope that it can be healing. For the moment, my days are typically being spent writing in my journal, playing music, roasting anything I can roast in the oven or talking to a friend on the phone. Today, I took a yoga class from a local studio who’re streaming their classes on IG Live and that was helpful for both my body and my rampant mind. How basic am I, you ask? Well, there’s nothing like a quarantine to find out.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B92bBw9pJD7/

Williams shared the first track, “Simmer” off of upcoming Petals For Armor in January. The vocalist followed it up with “Leave It Alone” and “Cinnamon,” all of which continued to build upon a connected plot. The three tracks appeared on an EP, PETALS FOR ARMOR I, which is available here now.

You can check out the first track off PETALS FOR ARMOR II below and preorder the full album, which is out May 8, here.

https://twitter.com/yelyahwilliams/status/1240671978123649027

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Hayley Williams “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris” featuring boygenius lyrics

I have seen your body
And I have seen your beauty
They are separate things
Pretty, pretty, pretty things
But I am in a garden
Tending to my own
So what do I care
And what do you care if I grow?
If I grow

Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses
(Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses)
Show no concern for colors of a violet
Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus
(Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus)
Hopes it won’t spark
Envy in your irises

Think of all the wilted women
Who crane their necks to reach a window
Ripping all their petals off just ’cause
“He loves me now, he loves me not”
I myself was a wilted woman
Drowsy in a dark room
Forgot my roots
Now watch me bloom

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Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses
(Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses)
Show no concern for colors of a violet
Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus
(Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus)
Hopes it won’t spark
Envy in your irises
(Irises)

And I will not compare
Other beauty to mine
And I will not become
A thorn in my own side
And I will not return
To where I once was
Well, I can break through the earth
Come out soft and wild

Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses
(Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses)
Show no concern for colors of a violet
Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus
(Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus)
Hopes it won’t spark
Envy in your irises

Hayley Williams is still set to embark on her first solo tour beginning in May. Dates are below with tickets here.

Dates:

05/13 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Max
05/15 – Brighton, UK @ The Beach @ The Great Escape Festival
05/16 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
05/18 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale
05/19 – Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall

Read more: Hayley Williams talks abuse, anger, femininity in a male-dominated space

05/28 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
05/30 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
06/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
06/03 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
06/05 – Dallas, TX @ HiFi
06/06 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
06/08 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
06/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
06/15 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
06/17 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
06/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
06/20 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
06/22 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel
06/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
06/26 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
06/27 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
06/29 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville

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