Album Review: Paramore’s Anthem of Frustration Examines Modern-Day Issues Through an Introspective Lens in ‘This is Why’

Societal and intrapersonal unrest fuel Paramore’s latest album, This is Why, as it transitions from distress about the state of the world to a brooding self-reflection. The highly-regarded band once again succeeds in putting out an album that encompasses relatable concerns.

Written by Catalina Perez

Rising from the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hayley Williams,Taylor York, and Zac Farro have returned to Paramore after an almost six-year hiatus. The members have finally presented the public with long-awaited album This is Why, revealing an evolved perspective on life and conspicuously participating in the 2000s post-punk revival. Hailing from Franklin, Tennessee, Paramore’s legacy and creative output has transcended genre crossings and member changes. The expressive roar of teenage angst and irritability on their early albums, All We Know is Falling and Riot, were a big part of the themes Williams and Farro explored when they themselves were teenagers during the band’s founding in 2004. As members filtered through Paramore, perspectives on maturation and finding one's place in the world stayed the same, becoming reflected in their junior and senior albums, Brand New Eyes and their self-titled album, Paramore. Accompanying the development of lyricism and attitudes is the exhibition of a fearlessly ambitious approach to a transformation of sound. Paramore’s fifth album, After Laughter, and its use of synthesizers and funk rhythms is reminiscent of ’80s New Wave, contrasting with its gripping lyricism dealing with somber motifs and themes of anxiety and depression. Arriving after a short hiatus, Paramore’s sixth album, This is Why, progresses from the New Wave sound of their previous album to a Bloc Party, post-punk revival piece, revealing the band’s anxieties and struggles as adults dealing with the ever-changing world around them.

Frontwoman Hayley Williams hasn’t shied away from voicing her beliefs on social justice, women’s rights, and the harms of social media. She’s shared her thoughts about the harmful culture of the pop-punk scene amidst its recent resurfacing through Paramore’s “Misery Business,” emo nostalgia festivals like “When We Were Young Fest” and Y2K fashion. Contrasting their previous albums, Paramore’s inspirations for this album stem from a societal and political exhaustion that have become widespread in recent years. In an interview with The Guardian, Paramore detailed topics that make up the heart of the album, such as abortion rights, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial injustice. Williams describes, “Some days I feel so over it, almost to the point of apathy, but that’s the struggle — that you have to fight.”

Built on funky basslines and syncopated drum beats, the opening and title track, “This is Why,” emerges with rhythmic diversity. Intricate bass runs, a sporadic, dissonant guitar, and a bustling drum set open the song, slowly funneling together to strike in unison, creating a solid melody for Williams’ eventual entrance. The song’s message expounds on societal issues, touching on the coarseness and selfishness of society arising from unforgiving and strongly opinionated views, as demonstrated in the lyrics “You’re either with us or you can keep it / To yourself.” It also narrates an apprehensiveness of life at the hand of society’s pitiless ways. Williams illustrates this in the lyrics, “If you have an opinion / Maybe you should shove it / Or maybe you could scream it / Might be best to keep it / To yourself (yourself)” and “One step beyond your door / It might as well have been a free fall.” The chorus also emphasizes this feeling by proclaiming, “This is why / I don’t leave the house / You say the coast is clear / But you won’t catch me out / Oh, why? / This is why.”

“The News,” the album’s second track, makes an explosive entrance, with a perky guitar and energetic drumming accompanied by Williams crying out, “War / A War/ A War / On the far side / On the other side of the planet.” The song revolves around Williams’ thoughts about the state of the world, including a wide range of issues like the global pandemic, political conflict, and the uncomfortable yet common feeling of being constantly bombarded by unpleasant news. As the song progresses, Williams describes the complicated relationship between wanting to stay informed and the endless cycle of helplessness and fatigue that comes with following the news. She goes on to describe this in her lyrics, “Every second, our collective heart breaks / All together, every single head shakes / Shut off your eyes, but it won’t go away / Turn on, turn off the news” and “But I worry and I give money / And I feel useless behind this computer / And that’s just barely scratched the surface of my mind.” As the song proceeds to the bridge, Williams monotonously chants, “Exploitative / Performative / Informative / And we don’t know the half of it / Rhetorical / Deplorable / Historical / And all along / We call it normal.” This robotic tone of her voice also conveys the song’s message of weariness and vulnerability as she repeats the lyrics from the chorus and heads towards an abrupt ending.

A distorted guitar riff and a series of offset drumsticks click open Paramore’s seventh track, “You First.” In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, Williams describes the self-reflective nature of the song and how everyone is a “hero” or a “villain” at some point in their lives. This is shown in the lyrics “Turns out I’m livin’ in a horror film / Where I’m both the killer and the final girl / So who / Who are you.” The song also analyzes Williams’ struggle with faults and wrongdoings in her life, comparing them to a stray animal, “Just like a stray animal / I keep feeding scraps / I give it my energy / And it keeps on coming back.” Furthermore, Williams provides an outlook on the imperiled state of humanity: “Karma’s gonna come for all of us / And I hope / Well, I hope / I just hope / That she comes / Comes for you first.”

The last track, “Thick Skull,” is a cathartic end to the dancey-funk ambience that defines the closing parts of the album. Originally written as the first song for the album and as the track that kick-started Paramore’s writing process, “Thick Skull” examines Williams’ self-blaming thoughts about past mistakes and insecurities she’s held on to. It begins with a gloomy duet between York’s restrained guitar and Williams’ gentle voice as she proclaims, “I am a magnet for broken pieces / I am attracted to broken people / I pick ‘em up and now my fingers are bleedin’ / And it looks like my fault / And it looks like I’m caught red handed.” In the chorus, Williams refers to herself as having a thick skull for making the same mistakes and having to learn the same lessons, “Thick skull never did / Nothing for me / Same lesson again?” As the song progresses, an emotional release ensues through an amplification of sound — a higher vocal register and a dense instrumental environment — almost seeming like an outlet for the pent up frustrations from the previous songs of the album. The final seconds of the song return to the same hushed, gentle sound of the beginning, ending the album on a compassionate tone.

Paramore’s latest release conveys a sonically and lyrically passionate and intimate message that stems from a developed viewpoint of attitudes and an aged frame of reference on life. It clearly indicates the desire to share their impression on current global issues and does so in an empowering way for the listener, through expressive and upbeat musical approaches. From beginning to end, This is Why communicates Paramore’s unabashed inner monologues on the fears and exhaustions of the complexities of modern life, yet allows listeners to relate to the band’s struggles, assuring others they’re not alone in this unpredictable world.

REVIEWSAfterglow ATXFebruary 23, 2023catalina perez, paramore