Paramore Announces Album 'This Is Why' For February 2023

Paramore is back. On Dec. 8, the iconic alternative-rock band released “The News,” the second single from its upcoming sixth studio album, This Is Why.

The band — which features lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro — was on hiatus for five years, but their return to the music industry has officially begun. In September, Williams wrote a letter to their fans on Discord thanking them for their support while the band stepped away from making music. In the note she explained that she and her bandmates were able to recuperate before recording their new album, and they are better off for it.

“Looking at our calendar for the next couple of years, I know that I would not be ready to give myself back to the band and the music and the life that I love so much had we not voluntarily given it up for a season,” she wrote. “For all of that, on behalf of us all, I want to say thank you for being so loving and supportive of us as humans first.”

Their upcoming record will drop early 2023 via Atlantic Records. Until then, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about Paramore’s long-awaited comeback.

When is This Is Why being released?

The album drops on February 10, 2023 via Atlantic Records.

What is “This Is Why” about?

In a press statement about the song, Williams explained that “This is Why” is a reflection of how the world has, and has not, changed over the past few years.

“‘This Is Why’ was the very last song we wrote for the album,” Williams wrote. “To be honest, I was so tired of writing lyrics but Taylor convinced Zac and I both that we should work on this last idea. What came out of it was the title track for the whole album.”

“It summarizes the plethora of ridiculous emotions,” she continued. “The rollercoaster of being alive in 2022, having survived even just the last 3 or 4 years. You’d think after a global pandemic of fucking biblical proportions and the impending doom of a dying planet, that humans would have found it deep within themselves to be kinder or more empathetic or something.”

Watch the video for “This Is Why,” directed by Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, below:

What is second single “The News” about?

On Dec. 8, Paramore released second single, “The News,” an angsty, roiling track once again interrogating the sociopolitical effects of living in 2022. But unlike “This Is Why,” which focused on lockdown, “The News” turns its attention to the debilitating consequences of the 24-hour news cycle (which definitely only got worse during lockdown).

Over crashing drums and scuzzy guitars that only serve to heighten the track’s disaffected message, Williams sings about the compounding effects of being tuned in all the time. “Every second, our collective heart breaks/ All together, every single head shakes/ Shut your eyes, but it won't go away/ Turn on, turn off the news.”

“The News’ is one of those songs that came together pretty quickly and felt exciting from the start,” Williams said of the track in a press release. “It feels like a happy medium between classic Paramore angst and bringing in some influences we’ve always had but never exploited. Watching Zac track drums for this one was one of my favorite memories from the studio. Lyrically, it probably explains itself. The 24-hr news cycle is just impossible to comprehend. And I feel a pang of guilt when I unplug to protect my headspace. The common reaction, or non-reaction, seems to be dissociation. Not one of us is innocent of that and who could blame us?”

The song arrived with a horror-themed music video directed by Mike Kluge and Matthew DeLisi, and depicts a milky-eyed Williams locked in a room with only a television there to comfort her. Watch it below:

What is third single “C’est Comme Ça” about?

On Jan. 12, the band released third single, “C’est Comme Ça.” The energizing track wraps up in a punchy two-and-a-half minutes and is built around a shouty hook and spoken word verses from Williams. French for “it’s like this,” “C’est Comme Ça” broaches themes of acceptance and breaking out of “a survival narrative,” per Williams.

“I’m trying to get un-addicted to a survival narrative. The idea of imminent doom is less catastrophic to me than not knowing anything about the future or my part in it,” she says in a press release. “The guys and I are all in much more stable places in our lives than ever before. And somehow that is harder for me to adjust to.”

In an interview with Apple Music, Williams explained that the song’s spoken verses and jangly dance punk sound was partially inspired by listening to bands like English group Dry Cleaning and Yard Act. “I had been listening to a lot of Dry Cleaning and Yard Act and just artists that talk a lot over great, cool, music. So I guess I was just feeling poetic and feeling a bit critical of myself and fused all that stuff,” she said.

Hear the new single below:

How To Attend The ‘This Is Why’ Tour

Paramore is embarking on a major stadium tour in summer 2023 in support of upcoming album This Is Why. The string of dates kick off late May 2023 in Charlotte, NC, and wrap up in August in St. Paul, MN. See a complete list of their performances this fall and how to score tickets, here.