Paramore‘s Hayley Williams took a break from the band’s usual set list to channel her inner Sasha Fierce, covering Beyoncé‘s “I Miss You” in the Texas-bred singer’s hometown of Houston on Tuesday.
Most of the song was performed by Williams a cappella while the rest of the band took a back seat. In fan-captured videos, Williams’ silhouette stands out as she’s surrounded by dim red lighting. She can be heard belting out the bridge: “It is so simple a feeling, but it’s everything / No matter who you love, it is so simple a feeling, but it’s everything.”
The song is somewhat of a deep cut from Beyoncé’s fourth studio album, 2011’s “4,” which featured mega-hits like “Who Run the World (Girls),” “Count Down,” “Love on Top” and “Dance for You.” “I Miss You” was co-penned by Frank Ocean and marked his and Beyoncé’s first collaboration together as artists. They again joined forces on the song “Superpower” from her self-titled album and Ocean’s “Pink & White,” from his album “Blond.” Like Williams, Ocean has performed his own rendition of the song during his rare live performances.
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After wrapping up the cover, Williams transitioned into “Crystal Clear” from her debut solo studio album “Petals for Armor.”
The Tuesday night concert in Houston was part of Paramore’s ongoing “This Is Why” tour which followed the 2023 release of the band’s long-awaited album “This Is Why,” a sort-of reunion for the band after a six-year stretch of solo work.
Last month, Williams brought rapper Lil Uzi Vert out on stage, with whom she shared a chorus of “Misery Business.” The band will also be joining Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” for its entire U.K. and European leg in 2024, and Williams also appears as a duet partner on Swift’s latest release, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”
