David Byrne releases new single What Is The Reason For It? with Paramore's Hayley Williams
Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has collaborated with Paramore's Hayley Williams for the new single What Is The Reason For It?.
David Byrne has released his latest single What Is The Reason For It? featuring Paramore rocker Hayley Williams.
The ex-Talking Heads frontman's latest solo album Who Is The Sky? comes out on Friday (05.09.25), marking his first standalone record since American Utopia in 2018.
Byrne – who has already shared the singles She Explains Things To Me, Everybody Laughs and The Avant Garde – has now released the danceable What Is The Reason For It?.
The song features some acrobatic interlinking between the vocals of Byrne and Williams as well as swirling strings, playful brass and a sashaying rhythm that captures David's classic sound.
Discussing how the track came about, the 73-year-old musician recalled: "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 it's about? Why do we do this? Why do other people do it? Do we know anything about it?'
And I knew that she (Hayley) was in town, so I just texted her and said, 'Do you want to come by and sing on this?' And she said yes."
Meanwhile, Byrne revealed that he sometimes finds creative inspiration at unlikely moments.
The Once in a Lifetime artist said: "Sometimes the job. If I say something, I'll jot down just the line sometimes, that might end up being the title of a song. Sometimes it might be the beginning of an idea."
David revealed last month that it is unlikely that Talking Heads – also comprised of Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison – will perform together again, having not played since their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
The Psycho Killer hitmaker told The Sunday Times culture magazine: "I recall we were on TV together and people went, ‘Well, they all seem to be getting along.’
"But no, I don’t think so. On a practical level, trying to recreate the feeling that people had when they were in their early twenties? The time that they first heard that music? That’s a fool’s errand.
"And besides, I’m really enjoying what I’m doing."
