Paramore's long awaited comeback finally came this year, and This Is Why proved they had not lost a step in their hiatus. Jodie Averis, The Mic's resident Paramore expert, deep dives their triumphant return.
Any Paramore fan will tell you that it has been six agonisingly long years. 2017’s gold-certified fifth album After Laughter was the last release from the band before their hiatus. A few years after its’ triumphant release, and following the surprise release of not only one but two(!) solo efforts, Petals for Armor and FLOWERS for VASES/descansos, enigmatic front-woman Hayley Williams essentially erased herself from all forms of social media, offering Paramore fans across the globe radio silence. Is Paramore still a band?
However, some cryptic changes to the bands’ website in the late summer of 2022 caused a stir for both fans and critics alike. Shortly after, on September 28th (yes, of course I remember this day), a spunky new single was dropped in the form of title track, This Is Why. Fast forward to February 10th 2023. Re-entering the fray with possibly one of their strongest records to date, Tennessee trio and emo sweethearts Paramore’s sixth studio album, This Is Why provides a scathing commentary about the trials and tribulations of 21st century society, anxiety, revenge and emotional unease; however, swapping pop-punk and emo for a fresh, new sound.
“If you have an opinion/Maybe you should shove it” are the opening lyrics that Williams airily hisses in This Is Why. It is no surprise as an avid Paramore listener to hear Williams recite such words, as she is very often celebrated (and sometimes even criticised) as a bold and biting songwriter. These lyrics are immediately harking back to the years of relentless media harassment that she has faced. Between the eras of their albums brand new eyes (2009) and Paramore (2013), the band faced lawsuits over song writing credentials, line up changes as brothers Josh and Zac Farro unceremoniously exited the band following Josh’s stinging blog post (Zac has since returned to the band and remains as their drummer), and soap opera worthy drama as childhood friends fall out of love for each other – all of this allowed the media to permeate the notion that Williams was poisoning the band from the inside out.
‘”This is why I don’t leave the house!” Williams chants over an explosive and syncopated chorus. The dance-punk track features guitarist Taylor York slowly building the tension over the low, groovy bassline throughout the verses before the chorus erupts into life. The production here is neat, with the new-wave beat being reminiscent of After Laughter’s synths, and the biting lyrics sounding as if they’ve just been plucked from a brand new eyes’ B-side with its’ infamous angst. We’re only one track into this short but sweet ten-track record, but it is clear to see what the band are trying to do sonically with their evolution, not only as artists, but as childhood friends simply making music; by writing a love letter in the form of a perfectly engineered record to their younger selves, caustic Paramore. Suddenly, growing up together has never sounded so good.
In a similar vein, The News offers another perspective of the anxiety about the outside world. Over a janky guitar beat, Williams’ vocals sound deliberately fraught with unease, as she sings about having ‘a war behind her eyes’ and ‘feeling useless behind a computer’ due to the bombardment of the news, something that is bitterly relatable as somebody who lives in the 21st century. The contrast between the verses and the chorus are noteworthy, as the staccato verses gently roll into a smooth chorus, with Williams’ soft vocals gently crooning like waves coupled with Farro’s Radiohead-esque drumming patterns. This is failing to mention the inclusion of a ferocious spoken word bridge, listing the news as “exploitative, performative/informative and we don’t know the half of it”, adding to the indie-influenced soundscape.
"Paramore have once again proved that they can experiment with any genre with meaningfulness and artistic flair."
Indie rock is further explored with the effortlessly danceable Running Out of Time, describing the mundane with an almost dystopian twist. “THERE WAS A FIRE!” Williams shouts, followed by the fun little whisper of “(metaphorically)”. Following lines “BE THERE IN FIVE! / (Hyperbolically)” take the dreamy verse into a smooth, funky chorus, littered with a strong rhythm guitar. I find both Running Out of Time and The News to contain similar sonic threads as formative indie bands from the early 2000s such as The Strokes, Foals and Bloc Party, which Williams has since disclosed as bands that Paramore grew up listening to as teens. Despite Paramore being in a distinctively different creative space as The Strokes, Foals and Bloc Party at the time, being pivotal members of the emo scene compared to indie rock, it is fascinating to hear the full circle effect as Paramore turn their hand at exploring their indie influences.
Following track C’est Comme Ça is definitely the most fun track of This Is Why. The earworm of “c’est comme ça, na na na na” is followed by refreshing spoken word verses, à la Talking Heads, one of Williams’ favourite artists. We become accustomed to Williams’ lower register, where she comfortably and candidly sings “sit still long enough to listen to yourself/ or maybe just long enough for you to atrophy to hell”. Both high octane and bouncy, this track again is another example of Paramore’s creative palette; not only just the palette, but the sharp execution of it, too.
Big Man, Little Dignity offers a small amount of respite from the previous four explosive tracks, as the energy is dialled down and the listener is offered a soothing pop-rock track. It sounds as if it was born for After Laughter, with its airy vocals rising and falling like the crest of a wave over synthesisers, Williams’ soft backing vocals and electro beats. Said vocals are reminiscent of Billie Eilish’s Your Power, with Big Man, Little Dignity’s lyrical content also potentially describing men in positions of power and abusing it. Couple this with Williams’ biting pen – “your subscription to redemption has been renewed/You keep your head held high, smooth operator in a shit-stained suit”. Ouch.
The following track, You First, is yet another example of Williams’ feistiness in her song writing abilities. You First, much like Big Man, Little Dignity, is as vengeful as it is powerful. However, the energy is dialled back up to an eleven. “Thought I’d simmer down as I got older/ Can’t shake the devil sitting on my shoulder/ Who invited you?” Williams sings over a post-punk guitar beat, harking back to her early days with Paramore and the revenge-filled belter and Paramore classic Ignorance. For anybody who adopts the opinion of ‘I miss the old Paramore!’ – they’re still here. Very much so.
The wind chimes of Figure 8’s astral introduction sound exactly as if they could be cousins with After Laughter’s dream-pop hit, Pool. However, instead of an upbeat love song, we are offered an introspective track featuring lyrics about Williams’ own unhealthy habits. It is worth noting that the chorus of this track is HUGE. I really do feel as if it is perfect for arenas, with the way that the vocals soar over York’s frantic guitar and Farro’s powerhouse drumming: “All for your sake/Became the very thing that I hate/ I lost my way/ Spinning in an endless figure eight”.
This Is Why’s eighth track, Liar, is a tender love ballad, something which is quite rare in Paramore’s discography. Williams’ vocals here, light and somewhat melancholic, would fit perfectly as parts of her solo release FLOWERS for VASES/descansos. Swapping acrobatic vocals for airy ones, and swapping scathing lyrics for beautiful love poetry, seems effortless. Paramore listeners have never NOT been accustomed to Williams’ vulnerability when it comes to song writing, but Liar seems to be totally naked: “Before, I only knew to hesitate/ Pin back in the grenade/ And all the ways I’d keep you safe/ I keep you safe from me”.
"For anybody who adopts the opinion of ‘I miss the old Paramore!’ – they’re still here. Very much so."
As the album approaches the end, Williams does not lose sight of her introspection and emotional vulnerability. Penultimate track Crave explores Williams’ feelings of unrest with care and tenderness. Over a light shoegaze-inspired guitar, Williams recites “I romanticise even the worst of times/When all it took to make me cry was being alive”, and in the same breath, in the powerhouse chorus, belts “Now I crave, crave, to do it again, all again”. Here, the vocal melody is stark, with growing intensity and desire. Crave truly is a highlight of This Is Why, as well as Paramore’s catalogue as a whole.
This Is Why, with all of its’ potent force and fearless song writing, closes with Thick Skull. Yet another introspective track, focussing inwards rather than outwards, Williams returns to her own unhealthy habits again, this time switching post-punk for heavier, industrial shoegaze. Whilst some shoegaze experimentalism is explored with aforementioned Crave, Thick Skull offers a sleazier sound, echoing early Deftones. The type of track that will catch you off guard whilst slow dancing in the kitchen, Williams lower register calls out “I am a magnet for broken pieces/ I am attracted to broken people/ I pick ‘em up and now my fingers are bleeding/ And it looks like my fault/And it looks like I’m caught red-handed”. The track meanders and teases until the final chorus, showcasing some of Williams’ best vocals to date- think of the open-mouthed roaring vocals of All I Wanted. Serious stuff.
This Is Why is an absolute triumph of post-punk existentialism and human emotion. With this project, Paramore have once again proved that they can experiment with ant genre with meaningfulness and artistic flair. From frantic The News to gentle powerhouse Crave, the rich tapestry of songs on this album all have their own place, and tell their own story. With each re-listen, this album continues to open itself up to me in new ways, and only leaves me hopeful for their next endeavour. Whatever the band decide to delve into next, I believe will be a success – they have a solid track record of doing so, and they seem to be in a constant state of metamorphosis. If you need a reason to listen to Paramore, specifically their titan sixth album: then, this is why.
Jodie Averis
Edited by Ali Glen
Image: Official album cover, videos courtesy of Paramore on YouTube
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