David Byrne’s first solo album in seven years, Who Is the Sky?, arrives on Friday, and Paramore singer Hayley Williams appears on the final single “What Is The Reason For It?”
It’s a joyful, mariachi-style continuation of their partnership, as Byrne and Williams have been circling each other’s orbits for a while now. The Talking Heads bandleader was a huge inspiration for Paramore’s After Laughter, an album that pivoted into slicked-out new wave and became their saving grace. Last year, Paramore covered their eternal hit “Burning Down the House” for A24’s Stop Making Sense covers album and even slotted the song into their recent setlists. In turn, Byrne covered “Hard Times” for a limited RSD 12-inch that’s since landed on DSPs.
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In an interview with People, Byrne details how the collaboration materialized: “When we were finishing up the record, the producer Kid Harpoon and I were wondering, ‘Oh, maybe this song, it’s a love song, or at least it’s asking what is love. What’s it about? Why do we do this? Why do other people do it? Do we know anything about it?… I knew that [Hayley] was in town, so I just texted her and said, ‘Do you want to come by and sing on this?’ She said yes, and she killed it.”
Ahead of the Who Is The Sky? tour, Byrne is getting married and shared the playlist that’ll soundtrack “an amazing and spicy dinner. My sense is that words and lyrics can be distracting — the ear goes to them, especially if it’s a song one knows. So, I opted for buoyant instrumentals that will create a hopeful and joyous atmosphere… and that folks can also ignore at the same time.” It includes Head Hunters-era Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Sam Gendel, Brian Eno, and beyond. Explore that and the video for “What Is The Reason For It?” below.