As the singer of Paramore, one of the most beloved pop punk/emo bands of the last two decades, Hayley Williams has a lot to say about these styles’ golden age. For example, she recently declared that the “alternative scene” isn’t as great as many remember.
In a chat with NME published yesterday (10th February), Williams talked about the group’s latest studio LP – this is the reason – Like the importance of “competitiveness”, inclusiveness and “feel”[ing] Found in music (especially for women).
When asked about Paramore’s “controversial relationship with the heyday of pop-punk,” as interviewer Erica Campbell put it, Williams didn’t hesitate to share her take. :
People look back in these rose-tinted glasses. They talk about good things and forget the rest. It was a different scene for a reason – it was weird. Those kids were being bullied, so a lot of the guys in the band wrote shitty songs about their ex-girlfriends. Angry at injustice, they are essentially creating a world where other people feel unwelcome.
This isn’t the first time Williams has discussed her experiences with aggression, sexism, and bigotry in the music industry.
For example, last month she elaborated on what NOFX co-founder “Fat” Mike Burkett used to tell people. [she] When you give a good rimjob on stage [she] I was 19 years old. “And I think we would still be where we were without the young women, people of color, and queer communities.”
In December 2022, Williams revealed that she was hesitant to play guitar live because of “stupid comments on the internet” about women’s ability to use the instrument. Before she headlined last October’s When Were Young festival, she shared an open letter about her history with emo and pop punk.
In it she said:
To be a girl in love with this scene was to have hope that I could find my place. It took a lot of unlearning. There were many untied knots that I didn’t know about. All I knew was that every “Take off your top!” Or sleazy punk gin reviews…every dramatic headline pinned to my name, or a season of self-doubt…no one was going to define Paramore, but Paramore.
Luckily, Williams and company continue to defy the haters. this is the reason It has collected many positive reviews so far. They are also gearing up for an international tour in 2023 (Block Party, Foals, Linda Lindas, Genesis Ous). Click here for the schedule, and click here to purchase tickets!
There are only two songs Paramore have never played live