This Is Why Paramore Is Back
Vinyl record across white background
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-record-vinyl-167092/
Paramore played their last show as a band together in September 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Concluding their final show after the tour of their 2017 album After Laughter, the group took a break to complete solo projects and other endeavors. Now after a five-year hiatus, Paramore is back in a big way with a new single “This Is Why” off of their new sixth studio album by the same title dropping Feb. 10, 2023.
Paramore has been a staple of the alternative music scene since the mid-2000s with lead singer Hayley Williams’ impressive vocal performances along with memorable guitar solos and lyrics. Paramore's sound has changed since their debut album All We Know Is Falling in 2005 with their latest album After Laughter being an ‘80s new wave sound with an indie feel that brought Paramore into a new era that still feels familiar and attached to their roots of relatable songwriting and memorable melodies that make any emo-at-heart feel seen. “This Is Why,” a more rock-influenced track with a familiar After Laughter sound, gets even more vulnerable than the most heartfelt moments in Paramore’s discography.
In an interview with The Guardian, Paramore explains their hiatus and gives fans a new look into this coming era of the group that “This Is Why” clues us into. A huge inspiration for the song and album as a whole comes from the difficulty of finding their footing as individuals who grew up with the band, as well as the difficult period in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic, the racial justice movement and other social movements that year. The post-Trump era of America especially played into the lyrical content Williams reveals in the interview. She says that it felt like she was in a social experiment in the post-Trump era that influenced the content of the song. The lyric from the song, “If you have an opinion, maybe you should shove it” speaks to the atmosphere of the country that “This Is Why” reflects. Paramore felt very strongly that their ability to come back as a band and begin this new era of music comes from the connection Williams, Zac Farro and Taylor York have after growing up together in Paramore. Backyard conversations are cited by Williams and other members in the interview as a time to come together and be vulnerable about where they are all at in life.
Paramore has never held back on the inspiration for their music and their opinions on the state of affairs reflected in their music. After Laughter as an album reflects some of the depression Willams faced that allowed more creative freedom in both the sound and lyrics that The Guardian article touches on. Now, this continues in “This Is Why” with Williams and the group opening up to tough emotions like apathy (which is a hint to the content of another unreleased song on the album).
As for the song “This Is Why'' in terms of its sound, the call to the After Laughter era of Paramore comes to mind immediately, but also Williams and her solo projects. In the mixing and vocal quality of this song, it is instrument heavy in several parts, then cuts out to allow flexibility for Williams to explore her range. One song from her solo work, “Simmer,” off of the album Petals for Armor (2020) is very reminiscent in sound. Williams allows a vulnerable quality of her voice in both tracks to guide the story of the song with exploration in her higher range to sell the song's climax to the listener. Time will tell if the This Is Why album will follow a similar theme to Williams’s solo career, or take off with an After Laughter feel. Either way, the album is sure to contain some of Paramore's most refined work to date.
Paramore has never been apologetic for their new sound or creative endeavors. “This Is Why” tells fans and listeners alike why the band is where it's at and shows us that after all this time, Paramore is still Paramore.