This Is Why I Love Paramore

By Sarah Fournell

Just when I thought my favorite emo trio couldn’t get any more relatable than being “Fake Happy,” they encapsulated my resounding distaste for leaving my house with their latest release. After six years, Paramore made their return to music with “This is Why,” the titular track of their sixth album to be released February 10, 2023.

In addition to a new single, Paramore released a gorgeously avant garde music video directed by Brendan Yates of the band Turnstile. There was no better way to introduce their newest work than with a livestream countdown to the video’s release in which the group was accidentally muted.

The highly anticipated single is a perfect blend of the poppy new wave sound of their last album, After Laughter (2017), and the classic pop punk flavor that defined their past. The static layered above lead singer Hayley Williams’ elongated cries in the bridge are sonically reminiscent of hits from Paramore’s solely pop punk days, like “Monster” and “Emergency.” 

However, despite having roots in the past, “This is Why” is a gleaming emblem of the band’s evolution as a whole. Each member’s growth as musicians are evident in the new tones they took on in their individual solo projects of the past few years. The influence of Hayley Williams’ two studio albums Petals for Armor (2020) and FLOWERS for VASES/descansos (2021) is present in the breathy tenderness of her subdued vocals in the verses. The funky franticness of drummer Zac Farro’s work in his band Halfnoise is resounding in the groovy chorus. 

Lyrically, “This is Why” mirrors the disillusionment with reality that Paramore captured best on After Laughter. Williams’ outspokenness about her anxiety translates into the sentiment of the single. The line “This is why/I don’t leave the house” epitomizes the feelings of homebodies everywhere, especially after becoming comfortable with staying inside the past few years. The first line of the bridge “One step beyond your door/It might as well have been a free fall” expresses the fleetingness of the feeling of safety once you step out into the world. 

“This is Why” is a thrilling precursor to Paramore’s new era. With the fire of nostalgia beneath them and the emotional growth they’ve been boasting over the past five years, there’s a hope to be heralded for the future of the group. The trio is back together, Hayley’s hair is orange again, and I’ve never loved them more.