Hayley Williams is holding nothing back on her new single “Dead Horse.”
Released earlier this afternoon, “Dead Horse” is the latest single to be released from the singer’s upcoming debut solo album “Petals For Armor.” And while the previous tracks tackle the difficult topics of depression, anxiety, and struggling to fit in- “Dead Horse” is the first track to outwardly discuss the singer’s previous relationship and subsequent divorce.
Opening with an emotional voice note of Williams saying “Alright, it took me three days to send you this, but uh.. sorry. I was in a depression, and I’m trying to come out of it now,” this new single is brutally honest- giving fans an inside look at Williams’ past marriage to New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert.
Married in 2016 after over nearly a decade together, Williams and Gilbert were a pop-punk power couple- with nearly dozens of songs written about or with each other (see: Paramore’s “Still Into You,” and “The Only Exception,” as well as New Found Glory’s “Vicious Love.”) But while fans saw an idealistic couple, the duo’s personal lives were falling apart- leading to the announcement of their 2017 divorce.
Since their split, Williams has spoken little about it- though many fans speculate that several tracks from her solo album as well as previous Paramore albums are about their relationship. “Dead Horse” however, dives right in.
With lines like “I stayed with you too long,” and “when I said goodbye I hope you cried,” the track is undeniably documenting the singer’s open and honest thoughts about her very public relationship- even announcing that she was “the other woman” at the start.
Musically, “Dead Horse” is the first Williams single to sound similar to her Paramore releases- featuring classic pop beats and an upbeat tempo while the contrasting lyrics cause listeners to ponder the track’s true feelings. Many fans have even compared the track to Paramore’s last album, “After Laughter,” as the song makes you want to dance despite the heavy lyrical content.
Though “Dead Horse” comes after several single releases and the release of Parts I and II of the singer’s debut album, Williams announced that the track will be the last single to be released prior to the album’s May 8th debut.
You can stream “Dead Horse” in addition to “Petals For Armor” Parts I and II now, wherever you stream music.
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