Paramore are releasing a new album called This Is Why in February, and after sharing the title track they’ve now given us a second taster called “The News”. Speaking about the song, Hayley Williams says:
“The News is one of those songs that came together pretty quickly and felt exciting from the start. 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?”
Williams kicks off the track by yelping about a “war on the other side of the planet” and the “war right behind my eyes”. It’s a blunt appraisal of the world we live in today – and she puts her finger on the collective desire to just turn it off. “Every second our collective heart breaks / Altogether every single head shakes / Shut your eyes but it won’t go away” she effuses in the punchy chorus. Shifting between tight, driving rock and free-floating moments of disassociation, Paramore succinctly capture the push-pull of trying to engage with the 24 hour news cycle and then trying to escape the horrible feelings that bubble up.
Watch the video for “The News” below or find it on streamers.
Paramore’s new album This Is Why arrives on February 10 through Atlantic (pre-order/save). You can find the band on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.
