Paramore Announce New Album 'This Is Why'
Music

Paramore Announce New Album 'This Is Why'

You'd think we turned back time with the revitalization of all of the beloved bands of our childhoods, from My Chemical Romance's incredible return to Rage Against the Machine's triumphant return to the stage. Why not bring Paramore into the ring while we're at it?

The pop-punk powerhouses have been relatively quiet since the release of their 2017 album, After Laughter, and its accompanying tour. Lead singer Hayley Williams spent the pandemic releasing two solo albums, Petals for Armor and Flowers for Vases/Descansos as the prospect of new Paramore floated around. After confirming that they returned to the studio earlier this year to tap into their guitar-driven sound once more, they were announced as headliners for the throwback extravaganza When We Were Young in Las Vegas alongside My Chemical Romance. The band then announced a tour. What's a tour without a record? Paramore has got you covered, and today they announce their forthcoming album, This Is Why.

The album, which is due February 10, 2023 via Atlantic Records, was recorded in Los Angeles with longtime collaborator Carlos de la Garza. The album's title track, which is released today, is a groovy and funky romp that proves Paramore knows how to innovate and adapt as their fanbase travels with them throughout nearly 20 years of music. Williams' voice switches from a sickeningly sweet falsetto into a sassy talk-sing. Frenetic instrumentation crashes and comes back together around Williams' immovable vocals, mimicking a crumbling world that requires a strength and determination to survive in.

Speaking on the single, Williams explained:

"'This Is Why' was the very last song we wrote for the album. To be honest, I was so tired of writing lyrics but Taylor convinced Zac and I both that we should work on this last idea. What came out of it was the title track for the whole album. It summarizes the plethora of ridiculous emotions, the rollercoaster of being alive in 2022, having survived even just the last 3 or 4 years. You’d think after a global pandemic of fucking biblical proportions and the impending doom of a dying planet, that humans would have found it deep within themselves to be kinder or more empathetic or something."

The stunning and eerie music video was directed by Turnstile frontman Brendan Yates. The band is surrounded by gorgeous scenery under the watchful eye of a small camera crew. Cabin fever grows as their candid moments and unrest are filmed for an unknown purpose. Williams, who serves multiple gorgeous looks, is hit the hardest of all as she secludes herself in a quaint trailer. When she attempts to find an escape, she is saved (with the cameras rolling, of course).

"It was so rad working with Brendan," Williams said of the exciting collaboration. "I’ve known the Turnstile guys for a little while and was so psyched to have our worlds collide in this way. There’s a cool kinship between the way our bands do things... Hopefully we will get to play shows with them at some point,”

Below, watch the video for "This Is Why."

Photography: Zachary Gray