For years, fans of pop punk band Paramore have heard Hayley Williams say that everything she does is for the band. Any solo features she did with other artists had to emphasize that it was Hayley Williams from Paramore, never just her.

Since 2005, Paramore has fought to be more than just a “girl fronted band.” The rotating members of the band have clung to whatever acknowledgement they could get that was more than that of a backing band.

So, when the group announced a well-deserved break (and well needed after lineup changes and a grueling tour schedule to promote their 2017 album, “After Laughter”) no one expected to hear much too terribly soon from Williams.

After all, she has a well-established hair color business called Good Dye Young to run. She had also gone through a split with husband Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory.

But here we are in 2020 and Williams has dropped her first solo single, “Simmer,” off of her forthcoming full length, “Petals for Armor.”

The song was teased online through short clips featuring a sharp inhale and little else to go on.

When it dropped last week, fans were hooked.

While Paramore never shied away from singing about material that was a little darker like depression and coping with failed relationships, this feels more gritty. The band had progressively gotten more polished through the pop machine. This is still well produced – by Paramore’s Taylor York – and radio ready, but has rough edges and a biting tongue with lyrics dealing with the idea of revenge after abuse.

The sharp inhale used to tease the song’s release is heard through the entirety of the four-minute, 25-second release. Capitalizing on ASMR culture, Williams uses different breaths recorded as percussion.

Williams created a song that doesn’t feel like a huge leap from Paramore’s most recent album but definitely progressed to find a sound that is distinctly her own. It’s a careful line to tread in order to keep previous fans interested and she walks the tight rope effortlessly.

Lyrically, it’s on the more personal side. The singer has written songs with an openness that fans have grown to expect but “Simmer” leaves little room for open interpretation.

If the first single is any indication on what the album is going to sound like, listeners are in for a journey of self-reflection, fighting inner demons, wrestling with anger and doing it all with heavy bass underneath more delicate melodies.

For fans of: Paramore, Billie Eilish, Tegan & Sara.