PARAMORE frontwoman HAYLEY WILLIAMS had mixed feelings about posing for the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine after spending years trying to avoid the spotlight at the start of her career.

The rocker hesitated before agreeing to be the publication's cover girl because she hasn't always felt comfortable embracing her sexy side.

But after donning a glamorous dress for her solo shoot, Williams insists she's embracing her "powerful female" role.

In a post on the band's blog, the star writes, "I wanna talk about the Cosmo cover... as much as I tell myself I don't care and I wear whatever I want... there will always be those moments when I'm at the check out line at (U.S. retailer) Target and I see some gorgeous person on the cover of any ol (sic) rag... and I'm like 'Ugh, is that how it's gotta be!?' only to realise that... next month, that girl on the cover is gonna be me. What a hypocrite right?!?! "Noooo. Here's the thing. My #1 (number one) goal when the band began was to make myself invisible... I've turned down a lot of magazine covers. I specifically remember turning down Blender mag when I turned 19. No one ever knew. It never made people focus on me any less... So this time I'm taking a different approach. All three of us in Paramore have our own roles. And finally I will accept mine. I'm going to be okay with being a 'powerful female'. I'm going to use that role to make a difference."

The singer admits the experience was liberating, and she hopes the cover will inspire her fans to feel good about themselves, too.

She adds, "I'm hoping that the more a magazine will take a chance on a girl like me, the more a girl will have a frickin chance in hell to be unique, powerful, strong in her weaknesses, confident in her flaws."