It’s no secret that singer Hayley Williams has been going through depression and personal battles throughout the course of her career with Paramore. We can tell from the way her songs are written and the topics she chooses to write about, from her days as angsty punk rock princess to the outwardly vibrant pop rockstar she is now. It’s most especially evident in Paramore’s latest and much-awaited album “After Laughter” where she sings about her mental illness, her strained relationships with people around her, and the pressure of having to constantly please.
“You can run on the fumes of being a teenager for as long as you want, but eventually life hits you really hard,” she said in an interview with The New York Times about their new album.
And we can all relate to that in one way or another. But if there’s anything that Hayley and Paramore have proved to us time and time again, it’s that all it takes is to acknowledge our struggles and cope with them through the ways that we can.
So here are 8 of the best songs of Paramore that will help us power through our inner battles.
That’s What You Get
A.K.A. everyone’s late 2000s jam. You can never resist belting out its standout lyrics, “That’s what you get when you let your heart win.”
Playing God
It’s just the song that empowers us to resist controlling, self-righteous people who think they know better than you. “You don’t deserve a point of view / if the only thing you see is you.” (Remind you of anyone?)
Never Let This Go
It’s the emo song that defines all of Paramore’s emo songs, with lyrics that go “One day you’ll get sick of saying that everything’s alright.” But it’s okay to wallow in sadness sometimes.
Brick by Boring Brick
Another relatable Paramore hit, “Brick by Boring Brick” will never fail to give us a reality slap by telling us to actually fix our lives instead of getting stuck in a make-believe world where everything is alright. “Keep your feet on the ground / when your head’s in the clouds.”
Hallelujah
This song opens right away with: “Somehow, everything’s gonna fall right into place.” It fills you with nothing else but good feelings and faith that no matter what you’re going through, everything will be alright in the end.
Ain’t It Fun
Paramore’s first ever Grammy win, “Ain’t It Fun” is where we got our new millennial anthem: “Don’t go crying to your momma / ‘cause you’re all alone in the real world.”
Hard Times
“Hard times / gonna make you wonder why you even try.” This song came at the right moment, serving as everyone’s coping mechanism amidst the current state of the world. The chorus, most especially, resonates within us, but so should the line “I’m not gonna hit rock bottom!”
Daydreaming
Paramore’s “Daydreaming” may not be as well-known a song as the rest in this list, but it’s one that deserves as much attention. It’s just an all-around hopeful song that just motivates you to chase your dreams no matter what. “Daydreaming, daydreaming all the time / daydreamer, we used to be half alive/ now I’m alright.”
The best thing about all these is that we’ll get to hear (hoping all of these!) them live as Paramore returns to Manila for a live performance! Mark February 18, 2018 on your calendar to see Hayley and the gang! Tickets go on sale on November 23, 2017 at SM Tickets.
What are your favorite Paramore songs? Share them with us below!
