On Monday afternoon, Hayley Williams posted an unexpected Instagram video for one of her newly released singles “Glum”.
Known for her wide vocal range, charismatic personality, and being the frontwoman of pop punk band Paramore, Hayley Williams surprised fans by releasing 17 new songs on her website for roughly 24 hours. Although this unnamed project was originally released for those who purchased the limited-edition “Ego” shade of semi-permanent hair dye from her company Good Dye Young, Williams later uploaded each single onto digital platforms on August 1, making it her first released project as a newly independent artist.
Fans took it upon themselves to create their own personalized playlists and “album” sequences of her released singles in celebration of this milestone. Minting the individual endeavor with the unofficial album name Ego, each track is captured in black and white silhouettes with yellow-doodled drawings on each cover. With Williams being her own artistic director in the process, photographer Zachary Gray and visual artist Jordan Short also took part in bringing her work to life.
In “Glum,” Williams vocalizes her inner dialogue on what it means to be wrapped up in your own thoughts. She states in the chorus, “Do you ever feel so alone, that you could implode and no one would know? / And when you look around and nobody’s home, don’t you wanna go back to wherever you’re from?”. Williams is unapologetically sharing her apprehensiveness of the unknown, which contradicts the bright overtones and undertones of the music video shot on 35mm Kodak film.
The video concludes with Williams lying on the pool’s diving board, reflecting her mood of feeling glum. As she looks up towards the sky in melodic wonder, Williams is seen in a state of contemplative thought. In spite of not knowing what comes next, we can only hope for the future.
Keep up with Hayley Williams: Instagram // Youtube // Spotify // Apple Music // Website
