Hayley Williams Interview! On the State of Paramore, Going Solo & Touring With Taylor Swift

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The New York Times

Music Interviews, Music Commentary, Music

3.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 1 October 2025

⏱️ 89 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Paramore frontwoman goes deep on how the drama and evolution of her beloved, long-running band — now independent after two decades on a major label — has shaped her third solo release, “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party,” and what might come next. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're a star. You're a star. You're a star. You are a star.
0:04.9	Oh my God. Everybody is a star. It's our daily affirmation. Yeah, we just like to let everybody know that they're, that we're happy that they're here.
0:12.3	I love that, man. That's really, this is a surprisingly very cozy interview situation.
0:18.2	We're going to get way cozy. We're it, we're over at like a six of cozy, but we're going to get to a 10. Please get some of those unhide fuzzy blankets. You want us to go full, call her daddy? Yeah, yeah. No, no, but that's kind of our goal. Pajamas? I wouldn't. I probably, I love a suit, a pajama suit, actually. I do back that. You have that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You have, like, multiple sets. Um, maybe not anymore, but I definitely do. I did. I had, like, two or three that went on tour with me everywhere. What are you to sleep? I've never asked you. This is a very intimate question. T-shirt and boxers. Oh, yeah, okay. Yeah, teacher and boxers.
0:54.8	Like, I used to, like, I remember when I was in my 20s thinking that it would be a mark of being an adult if I had pajamas sets. Oh, right? I think that's me. I think that's me. Right? I was like, no, no, I'm grown. Like with buttons? Yeah, with buttons, like a whole thing.
1:10.1	There used to be a store next to opening ceremony called Sleepy Jones.
1:14.7	Oh, I know. I'm grown. Like with buttons? Yeah, with buttons, like a whole thing. There used to be a store
1:10.8	next to opening ceremony
1:12.0	called Sleepy Jones. Oh, I know Sleepy Jones. That's the one, right? You had Sleepy Jones? I did. I had Sleepy Jones. But every time I put it on, I'd be like, why am I wearing a suit to bed? At a certain point, No, no, no, they all went to housing works.
1:28.8	Cheers.
1:29.9	Second 10, John Caramonica. At a certain point, no, no, no, they all went to housing works.
1:28.7	Cheers.
1:29.9	Second-10, John Caramontica, pajamas.
1:32.3	Rare.
1:33.1	Rare.
1:33.9	Those are freaks.
1:34.8	Those are fancy pajamas.
1:36.8	Well, now they belong to the world.
1:38.6	I love that.
1:39.8	It's the world's pajamas.
1:41.1	That's a beautiful, beautiful thing to share.
1:42.7	All right, shall we?
	...

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