James Shepard, Staff Writer This Is Why marks Paramore’s triumphant return to music after their 2017 release After Laughter. The trio is composed of lead singer Hayley Williams, drummer Zac Farro, and guitarist Taylor York. The album faced great success upon its release, debuting at #2 on the US Billboard 200 Albums chart and #1 on the UK Albums chart. It marked the band’s highest charting release on both charts since their 2013 release Paramore. In addition, the album is universally acclaimed on the critic site Metacritic, with a score of 85 out of 100. The album opens with the fiery title track, “This Is Why.” Lyrically, the song is about Williams’ struggle with fame, especially with criticism and social anxieties. The song’s chorus reads: “This is why I don’t leave the house // You say the coast is clear // But you won't catch me out // Oh, why? // This is why.” It describes Williams’ feelings toward public situations. With fame comes persistent stress about paparazzi, stalkers, or people who seek to hurt celebrities. When Williams sings, “this is why,” she’s pointing to the public exposure and consistent anxieties she has to endure. The second track, titled “The News,” continues the narrative about living in a tumultuous world. In the song, Williams sings about wars “on the other side of the planet” combined with a “war right behind her eyes,” describing her mental struggle as she processes the chaos plaguing the world and her own mind. In response to this, Williams sings in the chorus, “So I turn on the news // Turn off the news” repeatedly. This repetition emphasizes the monotony of daily life as people are forced to consume everything going on around them, and for some, it’s too much to bear. So, they “turn off the news.” In the following upbeat track, “Running Out of Time,” Williams sings about another one of her struggles– time management. Although she has good intentions for others, she sings about simply running out of time. The relatable song describes how many people feel about the finite time we have in our lives, as it’s difficult to manage relationships, work, home life, and personal care. Photo from Youtube; Released on September 28, 2022, the music video for "This is Why," the album's first track, now has 11 million views and counting. The video's serene nature imagery contrasts the band's high-energy vocals. The fourth track is “C’est Comme Ça,” which is French for “it is what it is.” The fast-paced song features Williams singing that she thrives in the chaos of life and lives by the phrase “it is what it is.” One of the lines, “I hate to admit gettin' better is boring // But the high cost of chaos, who can afford it,” is about how Williams doesn’t necessarily want to improve her chaotic life because she loves the turbulence it brings. In other words, she cannot “afford” to lose the chaos she needs. In “Big Man, Little Dignity,” Williams sings about powerful men who are not held accountable for their actions. Especially in the entertainment industry and Hollywood, there are several horrible people thriving, despite their extremely controversial actions. In the lines, “I keep thinkin' the end is gonna be different // But you keep on winning,” Williams describes that one day, someone will finally lose their undeserved authority. Unfortunately, it hasn’t yet happened, and abusers “keep on winning.” The next track, “You First,” is about the internal struggle many people face between their “good and evil” sides. In one of the verses, Williams sings, “Turns out I'm living in a horror film // Where I'm both the killer and the final girl.” This metaphor emphasizes how Williams feels like she’s both the “good” and “bad guy” as she struggles through her life. The title comes from the chorus, where Williams sings, “karma’s gonna come for all of us,” but she hopes “it comes for you first.” She hopes that other people will face their deeds before she has to face hers. The seventh track, “Figure 8,” features Williams singing about a relationship that felt like “spinnin’ in an endless figure eight.” In the first line of the song, she sings that this person “drained [her] dry, down to the last drop.” He took everything from her while she suffered. Williams knew that she needed to escape a cycle with “no end and no beginning,” which is an important reminder for anyone who is in a toxic relationship or situation. Photo from Rolling Stone; The band performed "Running Out of Time" on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Lead vocalist Hayley Williams, pictured above, fortunately returned to Paramore after leaving for a short time in 2015, due to her experiences with depression. The next track “Liar” provides a stark contrast to the previous track; Williams denies herself love because she needed to keep “[him] safe from [herself].” Later in the song, she sings, “Love is not a weakening // If you feel it rushing in // Don't be ashamed of it.” Listeners must allow love to enrich their lives, despite some hardships. Overall, the song provides a happy ending for Williams after the pain of “Figure 8.” In “Crave,” Williams sings about nostalgia and “craving” to relive the best parts of her life. Whenever she’s enjoying a good moment, she “know[s] the feeling will come to an end,” which inhibits her ability to truly enjoy the present. In the chorus, she sings, “So I crave // Crave to do it all again.” Williams is constantly chasing after the positive feelings she’s had in the past, but it's necessary to value both past and present life experiences. The album’s closing track, “Thick Skull,” is about Williams having to learn the same lessons over and over again because they cannot penetrate her “thick skull.” In the chorus, she sings, “Thick skull never did nothing for me // Same lesson again? Come on, give it to me.” She knows that she struggles with accepting difficult lessons, even while facing intense pressure from the media. She has to put on a perfect facade, or “image,” of herself. Now, she’s escaping those expectations and letting herself make mistakes. It’s extremely important to learn from life experiences. After releasing this album, Paramore has solidified themselves as a group that continually improves their music. They are one of the top names in today’s music for good reason. The album is one of Williams’ most personal lyrical projects yet, and the band is sure to face more success in the future. Works Cited "This Is Why." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Mar. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Why. Accessed 13 Mar. 2023.
"This Is Why by Paramore." Genius, genius.com/albums/Paramore/This-is-why. Accessed 13 Mar. 2023.
0 Comments
Rachel Florence, Staff Writer Fast fashion is a fairly recent trend in the industry. Buying clothes, which once was an occasional event, has become increasingly frequent. This means that companies produce clothing at a lower quality for less money. Consumers buy and discard clothes quickly, according to the ever-changing trends that create a constant demand for new clothing. Companies like Shein, H&M, and Mango get the newest styles in stores as quickly as possible. Photo from Fortune; Many fast fashion retailers take advantage of cheap labor in developing Asian countries like India, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. The employees work long hours and receive less than the minimum wage. The advent of fast fashion has made clothing more accessible, transforming a seasonal occurrence into a common hobby. This transition now allows people to gain inspiration from social media platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok. Social media users can easily develop the styles of their favorite influencers and celebrities. However, the constant consumption of materials has made the clothing industry one of the most prolific polluters on earth. Many clothing pieces from fast-fashion brands are made of polyester, which is derived from fossil fuels and can shed microfibers. Also, the constant disposal of clothing creates extreme textile waste. There are humanitarian concerns regarding the working conditions of mass-market employees, who are frequently exposed to toxic chemicals and long work days. Photo from Phys.org; Fashion influencers and average consumers accumulate clothing "hauls" but quickly throw pieces away, contributing to dumping grounds in places like Chile. Fast fashion encourages a “throw-away” mentality regarding clothing, affecting both the producer and consumer. Excess fabrics and products sit in landfills for decades, adding to the world’s catastrophic pollution.
The trend of fast fashion has its perks, such as affordable prices and instant gratification for consumers, but the environmental and health consequences may not be worth it. A consumer should keep their clothing for as long as possible and research more sustainable brands. |