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Paramore rank among the most vital and exciting bands of their generation. Since they released their gutsy debut album ‘All We Know Is Falling’ in 2005, they’ve blended emo, pop-punk, alt-rock and new wave into a steady succession of scream-along anthems. Lead singer Hayley Williams has a rare gift for emotional honesty and a four-octave voice that soars over her bandmate Taylor York’s guitar onslaught.
The trio – Williams, York and drummer Zac Farro – returned last year with their seventh album ‘This Is Why’. When it entered the UK charts at Number One, it cemented the band’s enduring popularity and highlighted their influence on an eclectic range of Gen Z stars including Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Ice Spice and PinkPantheress.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift is such a fan that she asked Paramore to join her on The Eras Tour. “Hayley and I have been friends since we were teens in Nashville and now we get to frolic around the UK/Europe next summer???” she tweeted excitedly last year. Well, an iconic tour needs an iconic opening act, right?
What to expect
Whenever Paramore play live, they fill the room with kindness – they’re known for having one of the most inclusive fanbases around. And because a generation of pop-punk kids grew up with Paramore anthems like ‘Misery Business’ and ‘Still Into You’, there’s a strong sense of nostalgia as the band blast out their hits.
But at the same time, last year’s comeback album ‘This Is Why’ proved this lot are no heritage rock act – its spiky title track has become a firm favourite at their live shows. Above all, you can expect lots of energy, storming chorus after storming chorus, and note-perfect vocals from Williams. She really is one of the best singers in the (non-misery) business.
Their best moments
Parahoy! 2014
Not many bands can claim to have played at high sea, but in 2014, Paramore embarked on their own four-day cruise. Fans lucky enough to snag tickets were treated to two full live sets from the band – both on the deck, naturally – plus a separate Q&A session. The whole thing went so swimmingly that they set sail for further Parahoy! cruises in 2016 and 2018.
Reading festival, 2014
Paramore are no strangers to the UK’s longest-running rock festival, but when they returned for a fourth time in 2014, they did so as headliners. The band really rose to the occasion with a banger-packed setlist and a healthy sense of fun. During an extended version of ‘Misery Business’, they even ushered onto stage a fan in a dinosaur costume. Well, they always have been a band of the people.
Live Lounge, 2017
Paramore showed off their musical range when they popped into the famous Radio 1 Live Lounge. First they delivered a slinky, stripped down version of their own ‘Hard Times’; then they put a wistful spin on Drake’s tropical house bop ‘Passionfruit’. As ever, the crisp clarity of Williams’ live vocals is something to behold.
Their biggest bangers
‘The Only Exception’, 2009
When Paramore released their third album ‘Brand New Eyes’ in 2009, Williams described ‘The Only Exception’ as “the first love song I’ve ever written”. A folky counterpoint to the band’s frantic pop-punk tunes, it’s gone on to become Paramore’s signature ballad. It’s always a real highlight at their live shows because Williams really lets rip with her vocals.
‘Still Into You’, 2013
The band embraced retro-leaning power-pop on the second single from 2013’s ‘Paramore’ album. It’s an upbeat, fist-pumping anthem that Williams knew was “a big song” as soon as she wrote it. She wasn’t wrong: ‘Still Into You’ became a global hit and has just passed 800 million streams on Spotify. Next stop: the one billion mark.
‘Hard Times’, 2017
The lead single from Paramore’s fourth album ‘After Laughter’ adds some new wave pep to their pounding pop-punk sound. Though the lyrics are filled with despair – “And I gotta hit rock bottom!” Williams sings on the chorus – it’s so zippy and infectious that the overall effect is rousing. This stadium-ready anthem gets the crowd bouncing every single time.
Setlist study
Since they joined The Eras Tour in May, Paramore have perfected a watertight nine-song set. They begin with a version of ‘Hard Times’ that contains elements of Blondie’s disco classic ‘Heart Of Glass’, drop in their spunky cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Burning Down The House’, then blast out a brace of Paramore bangers including ‘Still Into You’, ‘Misery Business’ and ‘Ain’t It Fun’. You can also expect to hear the dance-punk title track from their seventh and most recent album, 2023’s ‘This Is Why’.
Where to see them next
AUGUST 2024
15, 16, 17, 19, 20 – Wembley Stadium, London
Supporting Taylor Swift on her blockbuster Eras Tour has opened up the band to thousands of new fans. In fact, Paramore sold 31 per cent more tickets in 2023 as a result of heading out on the road with Tay Tay, according to data from ticket marketplace viagogo. When they rolled into London in June, Paramore absolutely smashed it with their all-killer, no-filler opening sets. Now they’re back with Swift for another five dates at the iconic Wembley Stadium. Needless to say, these are some of the hottest tickets of the year, so get booking sooner rather than later.
The post 100 Artists To See Before You Die: Paramore appeared first on NME.
