Hayley Williams Brings Out Rico Nasty for First Live "Airplanes" Performance in 16 Years

"Rico!" When Hayley Williams shouted the name onstage, the crowd at Forest Hills Stadium hadn't quite caught on to what was happening. Last Thursday night (September 17), Rico Nasty walked out, and the two shared a hug before Williams launched into the opening verse of B.o.B's 2010 classic "Airplanes."

The collab went down during the encore of Williams' North American solo tour, "The Hayley Williams Show." According to setlist records on Setlist.FM, it was one of the surprise moments among the 25 songs performed that night. Rico Nasty took over the rap verse, stepping into B.o.B's original role — a spot that, on the studio version titled "Airplanes, Part II," was filled by Eminem.

For Williams, this was more than just a guest feature. She actually contributed backing vocals to the original studio version of "Airplanes," but this marked the first time she's performed the song live in 16 years. The two artists' connection isn't new to the stage, either: last November, Williams joined Rico Nasty in Los Angeles for a rendition of "Smack A Bitch," and back in 2023, Rico Nasty hopped onstage with Paramore for a performance of "Misery Business."

Following the New York show, the two will cross paths again on the same lineup — Williams is set to appear alongside Rico Nasty at next week's "All Things Go 2026" festival in Columbia, Maryland.

Williams' tour kicked off on September 3 in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will continue through next month before heading to South America, Mexico City, Europe, and the UK. Next summer, she's also set to open for Fontaines D.C. at a massive show at Slane Castle.

This year, her album "Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party" earned a five-star review from NME and landed at No. 9 on the outlet's year-end best albums list. Since then, her new band with Daniel James, Power Snatch, has also released its second EP.