After a four year hiatus, Paramore is finally back with their fifth studio album that sounds incredibly different from their previous work. Paramore’s "After Laughter" made its debut on May 12th, 2017. I believe that it is an album that can either be loved and raved about or absolutely hated by their loyal fans. Personally, I give this album 4 out of 5 stars and here's why.

The shift of their musical influences has transformed plenty. Fans of "Riot!" are in for a huge surprise when they tune into the first song off the album, where they will be greeted with dance vibes and '80s pop music. I asked a few of my friends who enjoy Paramore about what they thought of the album and about half of them loved it just as much as as I did, while the other half hated it because they thought it was too different and strayed too far from their well-known pop-punk genre.

Although there are vast differences between their older music and the songs that they came out with now, it will not be a surprise to me when songs from this album appear on the top 40 songs of this summer. "After Laughter" contains songs that have, as Rolling Stone states in their review, “fleet bass-lines and beats made for open road trips and solo bedroom dance parties." One of the first thoughts I had when listening to this album, was listening to it while taking a long introspective road trip to the beach.

However, along with these pop tunes, the lyrics still carry a very emotional and raw message that Hayley Williams is famous for. For example, “All that I want/Is to wake up fine," she sings in the beginning of "Hard Times.” If anything, this makes the "new" Paramore argument completely null since the strong lyrics are what carry their music.

One of my favorite parts of Paramore, however, is Hayley’s voice. Hayley Williams has such a gorgeous and sweet voice that carries out these weary lyrics along the catchy melodies, which serve and add to the palate cleanser we all need in order to meet our deepest emotions as the listener, allowing us to peer into Hayley’s mind. "After Laughter" is an anthem dedicated to the anxious, lonely, and depressed, and for her voice to be carrying such powerful relatable messages is a beautiful juxtaposition and really proves how deep this album really is. It's not just a dance-pop album filled with bangers. The beauty lies within the whole package of lyrics, voice, and sound.

Even if die-hard fans from Paramore's pop-punk days seem to not enjoy this album for their new music and sound, I still implore everyone to listen for the themes and weary messages that contrast from the upbeat music.