Hayley Williams Is Dating Her Paramore Bandmate Taylor York
They finally confirmed all those rumors.
As if dropping new music wasn’t enough, Paramore also gave their fans a lovey-dovey new romance to fawn over. On Sept. 28 the band dropped their newest single, “This Is Why,” and gave Paramore fans something new to listen to since their four-year break. With the excitement for new music, fans are on high alert for what’s to come, but they have been given the ultimate gift while they wait. After dropping their rollicking comeback single, lead singer Hayley Williams and guitarist Taylor York confirmed they are dating... and likely have been for a while.
In a Sept. 29 interview with The Guardian, Paramore shared all of the details about their new music, but it was an interesting personal detail that really stuck out to fans of the rock band. In the middle of the interview, a relationship announcement was casually dropped in parenthetical: “Williams and York confirm rumours that they are dating but decline to comment further.” Pause to scream and play “Only Exception” on repeat! Dating rumors have surrounded Williams and York for several years, but this is the first time the couple has officially confirmed they are indeed an item.
The bandmates didn’t reveal exactly how long they’ve been dating, but it’s likely that their bond strengthened when York produced Williams’ first solo album Petals For Armor in 2020. The rumors between the two of them actually first sprung up in 2018 when Williams and York posted stories on Instagram that looked similar. In one picture, Williams wrote “I love you” and York’s post read “Same” upside down — coincidence? Unlikely. There were also rumors that “Crystal Clear,” a song off of Petals for Armor, was about Williams’ deepening relationship with York. When the 2020 song was released, Williams told Pitchfork the song was meant to evoke “falling in love. Emphasis on the falling—because despite my fear, my toughness, or any resistance to vulnerability, I couldn't help falling in love.”
One of the most endearing qualities about Paramore is their connection to one another. The group came together as teenagers in 2004, and despite a bit of shuffling around over the years, the remaining best-friends-turned-iconic-band members that now make up the group are drummer Zac Farro, guitarist Taylor York, and vocalist Hayley Williams. Over the years there have been countless dating rumors that eventually proved to be true, but not in the way you think.
During the humble beginnings of their journey, Williams and then-lead guitarist Josh Farro were in a relationship between 2004 and 2007. After three years they called it quits and soon after Josh left the band, along with his brother Zac Farro. Awk. Although Josh never returned, Zac did rejoin Paramore in 2017 and remains the group’s drummer. In the years since her relationship with Josh, Williams married Chad Gilbert in 2016 after dating for 8 years, but the couple announced their split the very next year in 2017.
So far, there haven’t been any more updates on Williams and York’s relationship, and it doesn’t sound like they’re too keen on sharing too much with the public just yet. But we can expect an album drop coming on February 10, 2023.
