David Byrne, the pioneering former frontman of Talking Heads, is ready to release his first solo album in seven years — Who Is the Sky?—and he can’t stop praising his electrifying collaborator, Paramore’s Hayley Williams. Byrne recounts the creative spark that ignited after Paramore’s cover of “Burning Down the House” for the Stop Making Sense tribute album; in exchange, Byrne contributed a rendition of their song Hard Times, forging mutual admiration in the process.
Impressed by Williams’s magnetic live presence and sincerity, Byrne invited her to lend her vocals to the energetic, love-themed track “What Is the Reason for It?” during the album’s final production stages. “And she killed it,” Byrne said with admiration. Their connection unfolded naturally, a testament to how intuition and artistic chemistry can yield magic in the studio.
Byrne describes Who Is the Sky? as a joyful, playful album—one that questions love, unity, and the possibilities of connection. It’s a refreshing counterpoint to societal divides, delivered with emotional depth and optimism. The album drops on September 5, heralding a new chapter in Byrne’s boundary-pushing musical trajectory.
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