Hayley Williams’s Best Hair Colors, Cuts, and Styles Throughout the Years
Thirteen years after its release, people who were teens and tweens in the 2000s will still scream the lyrics to any song from Paramore's Riot when given the chance. They're also still salivating over Hayley Williams's hair. The singer's perpetually bright hair colors, cuts, and styles have always been bold to the point that they almost distract from her powerhouse vocals — almost.
Just about every single one of those looks is thanks to Williams's longtime hairstylist and makeup artist Brian O'Connor. "I've done her hair since Riot — right before 'Misery Business' came out," he previously told Allure. "From then on, any hair cut, color, and styling have pretty much been me." According to O'Connor, the singer's look is a collaborative effort between the two of them. "It's definitely a joint relationship, but Hayley is very stylish and kinda thinks outside the box for herself, too," he says. "That makes it a lot easier for me to creatively flow off of that."
Williams's near-monthly hair changes wouldn't have been possible without a lot of hard work and upkeep. According to London-based colorist Leanne Chadwick, Williams's penchant for bold, neon hair dyes would require her to keep a very light base shade with frequent root touch-ups. "For vibrant colors, you need a really light base for the true tones of neon oranges and pinks to shine and make a statement," she explains. "The lighter the blonde [underneath], the brighter the color."
Chadwick also estimates that the singer sticks mostly to temporary hair dyes in order to achieve such quick color turnaround. If you're the type to drastically change your hair color often like Williams, Chadwick ensures that those bright pigments won't pose any damage to the hair — it's the lightening of your hair you need to be careful about. "Always use a bond builder such as Olaplex to balance out the porosity of the hair so when applying the vibrant color, it will develop even," she advises.
Because Williams has changed her hair so frequently for the past decade-plus, she alone can serve as all the punk-fueled hair inspiration you'd ever need. Though her hair tastes have definitely evolved, she clearly hasn't put away her love for out-there colors, cuts, and styles.
So now, as the singer promotes her first-ever solo album, Petals for Armor, we're revisiting her best hair looks, including Paramore's entry into fame up and Williams's first solo single release. Sorry in advance if scrolling along makes you want to dye your hair immediately.