Paramore released their fifth studio album, After Laughter, on May 12th, and boy is it good.
The follow up to 2013’s self-titled album continues to give listeners everything they love about Paramore: relatable, admittedly sad and depressing (but still often hopeful) content overlaid with groovy beats, guitars, and synths.
I’ve been listening to the album non-stop for the past three weeks now, and I think I have finally decided on what I think the best songs on the album are (okay, maybe they’re not the best ones, but they’re definitely my favorites).
1. Rose-Colored Boy
The best way to describe After Laughter is: depression… but make it groovy. So that you can dance while you cry! And surprisingly, it works incredibly well. “Rose-Colored Boy” is the epitome of the album’s concept. Starting of with lead singer Hayley Williams chanting “lowkey! No pressure! Just hang with me and my weather!” in a way that puts any high-school cheerleader to shame, the song follows Williams as she talks about the struggles of loving her rose-colored boy who’s always so freaking happy and positive about literally everything when she’s just a half-empty girl that would much rather cry. It’s catchy, it’s moody… Paramore is truly back y’all!
2. Told You So
Released as the second single of the album, “Told You So” is quick and quippy from beginning to end. As is the case with most of the album, guitarist Taylor York’s riffs don’t always seem like they match William’s dark lyrics, but somehow they go together as well as peanut butter and jelly - and I’ll bet people freaked out the first time someone tried that, too! In “Told You So,” Williams sings of the phrase that everyone hates to hear: “I told you so,” and about having to keep cool even when it feels like all hope is gone.
3. Fake Happy
I’ll have to be completely honest; “Fake Happy” totally deceived me at first. It starts off with a slow, acoustic introduction that starts to feel a bit dragged-on after about ten seconds, but it abruptly shifts into a synth-heavy track that seems to have jumped straight from the eighties itself. This is pretty clever production on their part - Williams spends her whole life tricking people into thinking she's happy, and Paramore tricks the listener into thinking the song is going to be another slow, sad one.
In “Fake Happy,” Williams says exactly what’s on all of our minds but none of us want to say: it is exhausting having to pretend like everything is great all the damn time! Everyone puts on their masks and smiles like nothing is wrong, when really, we are all hurting, and we all have things that our wrong in our lives. However, it’s always a good idea to try and make that fake happiness turn real, because it’s no good for someone to have to pretend for too long.
4. Pool
“But why get used to something new? Cause no one breaks-my-heart-like you!” Williams is in no way ready to move on from her lost love, so she keeps diving back into the swimming pool in hopes that they’ll come back somehow so they can finally have their happy ending, even if it means drowning in the process. It’s much more mellow than some of the bangers and bops that precede it on the tracklist, but it’s still a great song with great lyrical content.
5. Hard Times
Arguably the most divisive song like, ever, within the Paramore fanbase, “Hard Times” received mixed reactions from fans. Many said that it was in no way close to being as iconic as “Ain’t It Fun” while others said that it was a step in the right, new direction for the band. Personally, it’s not my absolute favorite song of theirs, but I still very much enjoy listening to it. It’s simple, yes, but to have a song that talks about hard times without insisting that we have to keep positive and hope for the best is oddly refreshing somehow.
6. Idle Worship
When one becomes famous enough, they undeniably become a role model for their millions of fans and followers. Hayley Williams, however, wants none of it! She pleads with her listener to find a new savior, because she’s just as broken as they are. She cannot be the superhuman that many expect her to be, and that’s definitely understandable in a sense. No human, not even our idols, are perfect.
But don’t take my word for it; listen for yourself!
