by Emma Galloway
I remember hearing about Paramore for the first time through “Disney Sing It: Party Hits,” a karaoke game that was on the Nintendo Wii in which had “Brick By Boring Brick” and “Ignorance” by the popular band that I now love today. Keep in mind, I was probably seven or eight years old when I first jammed out to those first two songs.
Something makes Paramore so timeless, but I have never pointed out why. Is it nostalgia? Is it the way in which Hayley Williams is one of the most influential singers? I realized during all of the generations of Paramore, there are many factors of what makes Paramore … Paramore.
In 2004, Paramore joined forces with Atlantic Records when Hayley Williams was originally signed as a solo artist. Williams, however, had the dream to make a rock band with Jeremy Davis and brothers Josh and Zac Farro. Paramore was then switched to the alternative label, Fueled by Ramen which made a good pair with the band. By 2005, Paramore had their debut album, “All We Know Is Falling,” but this was just the start of their growth.
Once Paramore’s sophomore album, “Riot!,” was released, this is when the band skyrocketed. This album influenced teenage angst and the “take some risks” mentality in early pop culture with Williams’ hard-hitting vocals that is still knowledgeable today. This album had the band go on Vans Warped Tour, win Best New Artist at the Grammys and just recently achieved triple-platinum status in 2021.Unless you have lived under a rock, “Misery Business” has been in everyone’s head at least once in their lifetime.
Throughout 2007-2009, Paramore was on one big tour, guitarist Taylor York joined and the band released their album, “Brand New Eyes.” This album had singles such as “The Only Exception”, “Brick by Boring Brick”, “Ignorance” and “All I Wanted.” For many Paramore fans, this is a personal album. It has the beauty of lyricism and sound that makes this album so rare. Come on, you can’t tell me that one note Williams’ hits in “All I Wanted” doesn’t want to have you down on your knees.
Well … things happened between 2010-2013. The Farro brothers left the band, leaving Williams, Davis and York as a trio. This trio, however, created my personal favorite Paramore album, “Paramore.” The self-titled album is a story about growing up and the self-realization about the world, and man I loved this album during my angsty middle school “phase”. “Ain’t It Fun,” one of the singles of the album, was a personal favorite because of the danciness of the sound. Now that I am going to college, I have officially realized Williams was being sarcastic when she said, “Ain’t it fun living in the real world?”
While Davis left the band in 2015 to focus on his personal life, Zac Farro officially rejoined in 2017 to help create “After Laughter.” This album was a change in the band’s sound, with new wave sound but still hitting the 80s nostalgia. “After Laughter” had such an impact on the band, debuting at number 6 on the US Billboard 200 and received nominations at the Grammys.
Even though the band had a couple of hiatus moments in between their success, the timeless sound of Paramore never left. Even when we heard a new sound from “After Laughter,” fans were so excited about the return of Paramore. Now, on Feb. 10, Paramore will be releasing their new album, “This Is Why.” You can listen to their latest single here:
PHOTO SOURCE: FACEBOOK
