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Paramore’s Hayley Williams drops surprise singles

O UT now, Hayley Williams has released a surprise collection of 17 singles, produced entirely by Daniel James. Williams wrote, played and recorded a variety of instruments across each of the 17 songs, with cross-project contributions from long-time collaborators Brian Robert Jones and Joey Howard, and contributions from Jim-E Stack on True Believer . After 20 plus years spent fulfilling its contract for Atlantic Records — a contract Williams signed as a mere teenager — Paramore announced in December 2023 that it was finally an independent band. This surprise collection is self-released by Williams on her new venture Post Atlantic, distributed via Secretly Distribution. These 17 singles put Williams’s full range on display. Mirtazapine is a late 90s alt-rock love letter to anti depressants, while on Glum , she subverts her own voice — using vocal presets to striking effect as the track meditates on loneliness. Other standouts include Whim , an easy Americana earworm with a songwriting backbone that nods to her Nashville roots, and Ice in My OJ , a thoroughly modern track that pairs sharp production with some of Williams’s most biting and humorous lyrics to date. Long-time Paramore fans may quickly recognise the Ice In My OJ chorus, as it was first sung by Williams in 2004 on Jumping Inside by the Mammoth City Messengers. The collection captures all the dynamism Williams has shown throughout her career and collaborations. At its core, these songs are the work of a supremely R&B duo CVIRO & GXNXVS have returned with its new single Were You Down? This marks its first release together since 2023, united by a shared appreciation of 1990s and early 2000s hip-hop and R&B. Vocalist Cviro and producer GXNXVS have once again showcased their ability to seamlessly blend their distinct styles on the track, which honours an era in music history while also modernising it. On the single, CVIRO & GXNXVS shared: “ Were You Down? is a glimpse into our next era. We wanted to take that classic R&B DNA and stretch it, applying simplicity to both the production and the lyrics/vocal performance. It is not throwback because it makes you feel something different, it’s timeless.” From its breakout hit Benjamins amassing nearly 10 million streams on Spotify, to being the first Australian artistes to earn airtime on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio and Apple Music Beats1, the Gold Coast duo has been making waves in the space from the jump. Since their last collaboration together, they have appeared on global releases with UK-based R&B singer H33RA and Toronto rapper Jahkoy. As if meant to make music together all along, GXNXVS showed up to their first encounter with his recording gear in tow. Not long after, the duo bubbled up out of Australia and into the international conversation by 2014. The breakout Benjamins announced their arrival, piling up 8.1 million Spotify streams and counting. Problem and Lady posted up millions of Spotify streams, and Sober eclipsed 8.2 million Spotify streams. Along the way, OVO Sound Radio and Beats 1 championed their music. Not to mention, global supermodel and style icon Bella Hadid played CVIRO & GXNXVS on her social media to tens of

o Collection contains 17 new songs capturing artiste’s dynamism

the front person of legendary rock band Paramore. Frequently listed as a source of inspiration from contemporary performers as varied as Chappell Roan, Doechii and Billie Eilish — she has also appeared on a wide variety of albums and singles as a collaborator and guest vocalist, including Turnstile’s latest Seein’ Stars , Moses Sumney’s I Like It I Like It , and Taylor Swift’s Castles Crumbling . Swift went on to have Paramore open the first ever The Eras Tour show that debuted in Arizona and later, they went on to open all dates on the European leg of her world tour. At just 16, she brought the band to the masses with the release of its album All We Know Is Falling , which was certified Gold and just celebrated its 20 year anniversary last week. Paramore’s self-titled 2013 album marked a commercial and critical peak, with the platinum single Ain’t It Fun earning Paramore their first Grammy win for “Best Rock Song” in 2015 and further nominations for “Best Rock Album.”

The cover art of Williams’s single Glum .

After

Laughter

The

2017’s

introduced pop influenced sound that continued to attract acclaim with the breakout single Hard Times . After a long hiatus, in 2023, they returned with This Is Why , a full grown, alternative-leaning record that earned the band two Grammy wins for “Best Alternative Song” and “Best Rock Album”, making Paramore the first female fronted rock band to ever win the category in its 31-year history. Williams bandmate Zac Farro also recently released his first solo-work under his own name. Zac Farro – Operator is out everywhere now via his own label, Congrats Records. a polished,

Williams is the lead singer of Paramore.

Flowers for Vases . Both albums were gorgeous and stark meditations on loss and offered up a contrast to the high-energy and up-tempo muscle she displays in Paramore. Williams is a three-time Grammy winning singer, songwriter and musician best known for her role as

gifted artiste with a voracious, genre defying appetite for music and creative exploration. These songs come as the third batch of work released from Williams as a solo artiste. The Covid-era saw her release two extraordinary albums – 2020’s Petals For Armor and 2021’s

Modernising Y2K sounds

Stories of insecurities ARTISTE , producer, singer songwriter, and multi

instrumentalist Chris LaRocca has just released his new single Normal Guy . This marks his fourth release this year, all leading up to his upcoming EP Dog Years , set to drop later this year. The new song exhibits LaRocca’s ability to effortlessly build a world around a single moment in time. The lyrics tell a story of his own insecurities, as he compares himself to a woman that’s out of his league. Self-reflection sits at the centre of LaRocca’s artistry, and behind the lyrics to Normal Guy , there is something even deeper — a metaphor about the music industry. In an over saturated landscape of uniquely talented artists, it is easy to fall victim to imposter syndrome. Sonically, Normal Guy brings funkier stylings into play with shimmering chimes, retro keys, and 70s-era guitar rhythms. It is reminiscent of all-time greats like Fleetwood Mac

The cover art of Normal Guy .

On this single, LaRocca shared: “ Normal Guy is a song about self-deprecation and putting others on a pedestal — two bad habits of mine that I have tried to unlearn over the last few years. This song has really become a note to self to look in the mirror and be proud of the person I see,

LaRocca has just released his new single Normal Guy . place in my heart both creatively and thematically, and serves as a constant reminder to always keep some room in my heart for myself.” Since the start of the year, LaRocca has welcomed three eclectic singles – Ladybug , Laundry Day and Slow Dance in the Diner . Each release has showcased a different style, from indie-pop to Americana, and poignant memories from a year that felt like a lifetime. LaRocca continues to dig deeper as he nears the EP, reaching inwards to share vulnerable truths with long-time fans and new listeners alike.

especially in the last year, after experiencing a lot of change and challenges in my personal life. “Recorded around the world — from Mexico, to Los Angeles, to my bedroom studio in Toronto — this song has truly taken on a life of its own and has a spec i a l

and Steely Dan, and newer acts like Still Woozy and Vulfpeck.

millions of followers. In 2022, CVIRO & GXNXVS reemerged with Come On In , its debut EP on Red Bull Records, featuring the seductive standout Nasty with Jean Deaux. The following year, the duo CVIRO & GXNXVS delivered a bold reimagining of the project with the Come On In (Remix EP) (2023), flipping select tracks into new sonic directions. CVIRO & GXNXVS.

Self reflection sits at the centre of LaRocca’s artistry.