Standing among the most popular and influential pop-punk bands of the 20th century, Paramore remains at the forefront of alternative culture. Equally eclectic and smooth in sound, the Tennessee-based trio has spent over twenty years together through every hiatus and triumph they have faced. Paramore has released six total studio albums across their lifetime, earning themselves three Grammy awards and the crown of one of the best third-wave emo bands in the world. While the band currently consists of Hayley Williams, Zac Farro, and Taylor York, it took twenty years to get where they are now.
Mississippi-born vocalist Hayley Williams always had a passion for music. Her first soiree with music involved performing in a children’s church choir; however, after her parents’ divorce, it became a means of escape. Williams moved to Nashville in 2002 and met Josh Farro and Zac Farro, as well as Jeremy Davis, in an extracurricular program for homeschooled children–all three of whom became members of the future band. As Williams began vocal lessons in Nashville, she was scouted by Atlantic Records managers and was signed as a solo artist for the label the following year at only fourteen years old. Though Atlantic had intentions to have Williams as a pop artist, she fought hard to defy them, wanting to show her might in a rock band. Paramore officially formed in 2004, with Hayley as lead vocalist, Zac on drums, Josh as the lead guitarist, Jeremy on bass, and Williams’s neighbor, Jason Bynum, on rhythm guitar. Together, they formed a mesh of emotional lyrics, heavy metal, and melodic vocals to create a fusion of pop-punk, emo, and post-hardcore all at once.
The following year, on July 26, the band released their debut studio album, All We Know Is Falling. This album was filled with heartfelt ballads and various homages to the band, including “Conspiracy”, the first song the band had ever written together. Similarly, Davis left Paramore before their first album was even released, citing “personal reasons” for his departure. In tribute, Paramore wrote “All We Know” for Davis, describing the grief of losing a beloved bandmate. Though Williams was already signed to Atlantic, none of the other band members were, leaving a roadblock in their musical journey. While Atlantic wanted to keep Williams as a solo artist, they quickly gave in. However, there was a caveat to this. Atlantic kept Williams, but made the rest of the band sign to a subsidiary label, Fueled by Ramen. The reason for this involved Atlantic’s management team deciding the band would have a better public image if they weren’t signed to a major label. The band secured a spot on the Vans Warped Tour, and MTV played their music videos, even though All We Know Is Falling did not achieve immediate success. John Hembree temporarily filled in for Davis’s absence during the tour; however, Davis returned six months later. In December 2005, Bynum left the band, replaced by Hunter Lamb as the new rhythm guitarist.
After their debut album was released, Paramore began recording their second album, Riot. Unfortunately, Lamb left the band to get married. Davis also left the band due to his lack of work ethic, as decided by Williams and Farro. He was reinstated shortly after and rejoined the band, and Lamb was replaced by guitarist Taylor York. Riot was released on June 17, 2007, to outstanding receptions, selling over 44,000 units within the first week of the album’s release. The name Riot suggests just what the album is – “a sudden burst of uncontrolled emotion”. The album instantly hit the charts, with their hit song “Misery Business” earning over a billion listens on Spotify. Paramore’s breakout record gave them newfound fame, nominations for dozens of awards, world tours, and a fanbase larger than the world. However, conflict began to arise amongst the band during their 2008 European tour. The band cancelled six shows due to personal disagreements involving Hayley and Josh. Paramore released their first live compilation album, The Final Riot, on November 25, 2008, to critical acclaim.
Shortly after Riot came their third studio album, Brand New Eyes. released on September 29, 2009. The album was a commercial hit, releasing alongside popular singles such as “Ignorance”, “The Only Exception”, and “Brick By Boring Brick”. The album earned Paramore headlining spots at festivals, venues, and interviews across the globe, selling out the European branch of their world tour. This era of Paramore sparked a lot of tension amongst the bandmates, causing the Farro brothers to depart from the band. In a now-deleted blog post on Paramore.net, the band wrote, “We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy, and if that isn’t here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere.” However, the Farros statement painted a different picture of events. An archived blog post on Josh’s personal blog details Josh and Zac explaining their departure, particularly detailing how the band became “a manufactured product of a major label, riding on the coattails of Hayley’s dream.”
After the Farros left Paramore, it was Williams, York, and Davis against the world. On December 14, 2011, Paramore released the EP Singles Club, consisting of only four songs– “Renegade,” “In The Mourning,” “Hello Cold World,” and “Monster,” which was featured in the Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon soundtrack. This awkward transition served as a small hiatus for the band as they caught their breath from the fame. With the loss of two of Paramore’s founding members, the future seemed bleak and uncertain.
The band went radio-silent until the next year, when they began recording their fourth studio album. On April 5, 2013, Paramore released their self-titled album. As soon as the album was released, it was an instant hit, launching to number one on the Billboard Top 200 on the first day of its release. With radio-friendly hits such as “Still Into You” and “Ain’t It Fun,” Paramore was an instant classic, mixing a mesh of new-wave and pop-punk to make alternative music more easily digestible for new audiences. Their self-titled album stands as one of their best, marking the transition from heavy rock to synthwave and power-pop. A year later, Paramore released the deluxe version of the album, featuring a remake of “Hate To See Your Heart Break” featuring folk artist Joy Williams.
While getting ready to record their newest album in 2016, Davis said his final goodbyes to Paramore and left the band. After his departure, Davis was involved in various legal disputes with Williams and York over ownership of the band’s top-charting songs. This case was dismissed, and another case Davis brought up was settled in 2017. Amidst recording their fifth album, Zac Farro temporarily returned to record drums for the record, promising it didn’t signify his permanent return. However, Farro announced shortly after that he would be returning for good. After Laughter was released on May 12, 2017, debuting at number six on the Billboard Top 200. After Laughter showed intense contrast in lyricism, detailing stories of depression and self-doubt to upbeat pop melodies. Shortly after the release of the record, Paramore went on a three-year hiatus.
In 2020, Paramore began to tease their upcoming release on social media. On February 10, 2023, Paramore released This Is Why, their most recent studio album. This album strayed from the pop genre, instead opting for a more experimental rock sound. This Is Why earned two Grammys for the band, one for Best Rock Album and Best Alternative Music Performance for their song “This Is Why”. Later that year, on October 6, Paramore released Re: This Is Why, a remixed and rewritten version of their previous album, featuring covers of their songs done by artists such as Wet Leg, Julian Baker, and The Linda Lindas. Since then, Paramore has gone mute, temporarily deactivating their website and their Instagram account in late 2023. Besides this, the band has repeatedly denied speculation of the band being broken up. In a Rolling Stones article, Williams stated, “In order for us to metabolize shit that we go through as people, it takes the amount of time between albums.” This break allows the band to pursue their own interests, such as Williams latest solo album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. Though the future of the band seems undetermined, Paramore has made it clear that they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.