It’s fair to say it’s been a pretty rough year for pubescent teens so many all over the world. Yet they’re back, with a highly anticipated fourth album, due to be released late this year or early 2010, and a new single (out now) that’s pleasing Paramore and ‘Transformers’ fans alike. (I say that because the single is used in the new ‘Transformers’ film, not because the song takes an Optimus Prime form in any way. Although, I’m not sure how a song would be able to morph into an actual entity…)
Paramore, widely known for popular, high grossing hits such as ‘Misery Business’ and ‘Ignorance’, ended 2010 with a string of tour dates and an announcement that shocked their fans all over the world: the Farro brothers were quitting the band. If you don’t already know, I think it’s safe to say that it was a rather messy ordeal with Josh and Zac Farro publishing a blog post demeaning the band as a whole, labelling it “a manufactured product of a major label”, and lead singer Hayley Williams, especially. To be perfectly honest, the whole thing just turned into a big bitch-fest. It was only a few days prior to this that the remaining members of Paramore: Hayley, Jeremy and Taylor released a statement through Paramore.net to tell fans that Josh and Zac were quitting the band. They stated, “A couple of months ago, Josh and Zac let us know they would be leaving the band after our show in Orlando last Sunday. None of us were really shocked. For the last year it hasn’t seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore. 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. But we never for a second thought about leaving any of this behind … As we look back, and now as we look with excitement to the future, in all of this what truly matters are the good times. The pictures of us with our arms around each other, the long van rides, your faces while you sing along as we play. Thank you for getting us right here to this very moment. We look forward to our best times. And we hope you will go there with us.” The three remaining members put to rest any doubts that fans may have had in regards to them disbanding; and just six months on they have proved that Paramore is still one of the best bands around today with their new single ‘Monster’.
I can’t help but feel that their new single ‘Monster’, however, is a retaliation to the Farro brothers’ shocking blog post. Hayley sings lines such as “But I’m not the villain despite what you’re always preaching”, which seems to me like she’s defending what was said in the highly accusing blog post that claimed Hayley was ‘manipulated by her management’ and ‘treated the group as her solo project’. Hayley, Jeremy and Taylor did, however, verify some claims made in the blog post, such as the fact that only Hayley was signed with Atlantic records and the rest of the group was not. The interview, which was aired on MTV.com, didn’t dwell on the often scornful comments made in the Farro brothers’ blog post but highlighted the fact that the band were happy and positive for the future.
Their happy and positive thinking has clearly landed them in a similarly successful place. Their new single is, admittedly, not all that different from a number of songs produced by them in the past, despite claims by Hayley that the band would be making music that’s ‘slightly different’, but, it definitely showcases some of the best musical talent that Paramore have to give. Williams’ highly distinctive and versatile voice compliments the, as always, talented drumming and epic guitar-ing of Jeremy and Taylor. Generally, the song is typical Paramore, but that’s why we love them, surely?
It was also confirmed that the band have started recording with music producer Rob Cavello, widely known for signing and producing Green Day.
So, there is life after the Farro Brothers. Ouch…
