Paramore - 'This Is Why'
After waiting for five long years, pop punk royalty Paramore have finally released the first single from their upcoming album ‘This Is Why’, set to release February 10th 2023.
The single acting as the title track to the upcoming album teases an electric new sound that still holds Paramore’s familiar roots with a new post-punk edge; discussing the comfort of isolation during difficult times, and commentary on women’s rights.
Since the release of 2017’s ‘After Laughter’, Paramore as a group have been rather quiet. Between then and now lead singer Hayley Williams has released two albums under her solo project Petals for Armour, and the influences taken on this project have managed to blend into the band’s new single ‘This Is Why’. On the track, Williams holds similar vocals to that of ‘Petals for Armour’ and ‘Flowers for Vases’, her raspy ethereal voice introducing us to the new era of Paramore immediately.
While admittedly slow in the beginning with somewhat jarring guitars on a first listen, the mixture of post-punk influences and the band’s original roots start to become recognisable, and suddenly it all makes sense. With powerful belting vocals in the chorus and bridge from Williams, intricate guitar licks from guitarist Taylor York, and infectious beats from drummer Zac Farro, Paramore have successfully managed to release an exciting reintroduction after such a long break.
Along with the bold sound that Paramore have once again adopted, the political nature of this track is a breath of fresh air. Williams has always been a talented songwriter throughout her career, and this continues in ‘This Is Why’ as she sums up the feeling of comfort and familiarity that built up within one’s home during the anxiety fuelled pandemic years (“This is why I don’t leave the house / You say the coast is clear, but you won’t catch me out”).
The political factor of this track can only be centred around the opinions on women’s and abortion rights, with Williams outwardly challenging pro-life individuals to respectfully discuss these topics, or simply not speak at all (“Survival or the fittest / You’re either with us or you can keep it to yourself”).
All in all, Paramore have released an exciting new single in the leadup to a long anticipated album, reintroducing the trio to the world with a mixture of post-punk heaviness and a flair of their old pop-punk and emo roots, assisted with Hayley Williams’s intricate and confrontational lyricism, as well as forever impressive vocals and a myriad of talent amongst the trio and their production team.
Words by Rae Garvey
