A lot Can Happen in Six Years and This is Why

By: Morgan Beale

A lot can happen in the span of six years: we lived under two presidential administrations, the COVID-19 pandemic, schools shutting down and re-opening a year and a half later, and Paramore just released a new album. That’s right, Paramore’s This Is Why was just released on February 10, 2023, and we couldn’t wait any further to listen and review everything about it.

The last time Paramore released a piece of new music before today was back in 2017, After Laughter. After Laughter’s aesthetic could best be described as depressing under the guise of its happy melody. In contrast, This is Why takes a more direct approach in terms of its moody tone and lyrics reflective of how fast time flies alongside the pressures performing artists face when under the public eye.

The band threw hints of the trio consisting of Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zach Farro, reuniting for an upcoming album and tour. This was confirmed in January 2022 when they confirmed that they were working on This is Why that would be released for the following year.

The eponymous single, “This is Why” explores mainly Hayley’s pressures from constantly being under the public and handling personal issues. Before any lyrics are sung, the listener is introduced to a melody that sounds like an intro for a detective series. After the instrumental introduction, Williams sings “If you have an opinion/Maybe you should shove it/Or maybe you could scream it/Might be best to keep it/To yourself.” This could be a message to fans to remind them that famous musicians are people too. To reiterate that point are the following lyrics that make the chorus, “This is why I don't leave the house/ You say the coast is clear/ But you won't catch me out/ Oh, why?” perfectly captures the feeling of what it’s like to be someone who is well-known yet have anxiety that it messes with your mental well-being all because of that fame.

“The News”, the second single of this album, goes further and beyond in how media not just affects individuals, but society as a whole. There are wars going around in the world (let’s not forget how we were afraid we’d have to be drafted for World War III due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict), internal wars within ourselves, and the fact that we can’t resolve everything all at once. As highlighted in the lyrics of the second verse, “Far, I'm far/ so far from the front line/ Quite the opposite, I'm safe inside/ But I worry and I give money and I feel useless behind this computer”, it sums up how much of a chaotic world we live and want to do more, but due to the circumstances we simply can’t. And considering how when we turn on the news, we’re usually so inclined to turn it off because the world is filled with negativity and bad things happening all around. Combined with the post-punk sound of the song, “The News” makes good commentary on why people emotionally burn out on trying to keep up with current events.

“Running Out of Time” is pretty self-explanatory in its lyrics. Time is short and we can never find the time to afford more. The song start begins with a slow, chill melody, but speeds up as the listener approaches nearing the chorus; “I, I'm always running out of time/ I'm always running out of time.” The second verse also addresses the many excuses people use as to why they couldn’t do something or be somewhere on time. To put it into shorter terms, we just worry so much about rushing things through and not letting ourselves relax, despite hustle-culture speaking otherwise. Paramore felt that personally and we’re glad they spent six years on hiatus so they could not only let themselves rest but also produce a quality-tier album.

“C’est Comme Ca” (French for, “It is what it is”) might be what you mainly hear in this song, however, there is a deeper meaning behind the title. The first verse begins with the lyrics, “In a single year, I've aged one hundred/ My social life: a chiropractic appointment”. These lyrics allude to how people stayed at home and could not go out to socialize during the 2020 pandemic. Those were challenges many musicians faced during that timeframe because the art world (where people normally come together) faced adversaries in solitude; yet somehow, many artists thrived in the chaos of the pandemic. It is what it is.

“Big Man, Little Dignity” pretty much describes…nothing has changed when it comes to being a man. They can still get away with so much when they’re not held accountable for their actions (Just look at what happened when SCOTUS overturned Roe V. Wade). And instead of receiving proper consequences for the damage they do, instead, they’re forgiven by society when they save face paired with a melody that sounds optimistic in the most sardonic tone: “Well, well, well, look at you, don't you clean up nice?/ Bet it feels good to leave the past behind.” Just because they may try to create a positive image of themselves doesn’t mean that they don’t have skeletons in their closet, especially if they are high-profile and powerful.

Like “The News” and “Running Out Of Time”, “You First” deals with internal conflict. Using imagery such as the devil on the shoulder and stray animals, it illustrates what it’s like to deal with one’s inner demons and extremes in spite of good traits they also have. The intro guitar riff alongside its grungy-like element in the pre-chorus paints this internal battle within ourselves to life.

“Figure 8” and “Liar” are juxtapositions of one another, in terms of relationships. The former lyrically addresses being stuck in a toxic relationship, while the latter is about entering a new one that is healthy. Figure 8 begins with more playful vibraphone music and slowly descends into a serious mood once it reaches the imagery of spinning in figure 8 which is infinite. In contrast, “Liar” has a new wave melody and is more consistent in its tempo. To illustrate the two songs in real life, look no further than Hayley Williams herself who went through a divorce back in 2017 while producing After Laughter. Subsequently, it was reported that she had been in a relationship with fellow band member, Taylor York in 2022.

As we approach the last two songs, “Crave” and “Thick Skull”, it takes us back to the present and gives a hopeful look at the future. “Crave” brings out the idea that even when some things scare us for their uncertainty, it’s also the same reason why we desire them even more. “Crave” perfectly produces a melody that invokes a sense of glimmer for tomorrow from beginning to end. “Thick Skull” delivers nearly the same idea, but in the sense that it’s also reflective of the past and is an easy listen on the ears. To conclude everything that has happened in the past few years, “Thick skull never did/(Nothing for me)” because while some things may change others remain the same.

Album Details of Production:

All songs on the album were written by Williams, York, and Farro. All songs were produced by de la Garza

Recorded 2022, Produced By Carlo de la GarzaLabel: AtlanticPersonnel: Hayley Williams – vocals, backing vocals, percussion, piano, composition Taylor York – backing vocals, glockenspiel, guitar, keyboards, programming, vibraphone, composition Zac Farro – backing vocals, drums, glockenspiel, keyboards, percussion, programming, vibraphone, composition

Additional Musicians: Carlos de la Garza – production, backing vocals Brian Robert Jones – bass guitar Henry Solomon – bass clarinet, clarinet, flute Phil Danyew – glockenspiel, keyboards, programming Elke – backing vocals (5)

Technical: Em Mancini – mastering Manny Marroquin – mixing Harriet Tam – engineering Kyle McAulay – engineering assistant Patrick Kehrier – engineering assistant Scott Moore – engineering assistant Joey Mullen – drum technician Erik Bailey – guitar technician Joanne Almeida – guitar technician