Biography
Paramore first rose to prominence through anthemic and emotionally charged pop/rock that quickly outgrew their early standing as central figures in the mid-2000s emo movement. Fronted by vocalist Hayley Williams, the band achieved their breakthrough via the 2007 release Riot!, which reached number 15 on the Billboard 200 and introduced their signature track “Misery Business.” Their follow-up, 2009’s Brand New Eyes, climbed to number two, while 2013’s Paramore topped the Billboard 200 and secured a Grammy for the single “Ain’t It Fun.” Over time the group broadened its palette, weaving in increasingly eclectic elements of ’80s synth textures and dance-rock grooves, a shift that coincided with their reduction from a sometime-quintet to a trio on the refined 2017 album After Laughter. Outside the band, Williams pursued equally varied collaborations with B.o.B, Zedd, and Chvrches. In 2020 she launched a solo career with Petals for Armor, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 18 and set the stage for her second solo album, 2021’s Flowers for Vases/Descansos. By 2023 Williams had rejoined Paramore for the artful, post-punk-tinged sixth studio album This Is Why and its accompanying remix set, Re: This Is Why.
Originally formed in Franklin, Tennessee, the band coalesced after Williams relocated from Meridian, Mississippi, in 2002. There she connected with brothers Josh and Zac Farro through a local music program aimed at homeschooled students. Already displaying vocal power at age 13, Williams drew the interest of Atlantic Records, which signed her as a solo act. Disagreeing with the label about her musical direction, she persuaded them to approve a complete group assembled from her Franklin-area peers. Officially established in 2004, Paramore consisted of Williams, guitarist Josh Farro, drummer Zac Farro, guitarist Jason Bynum, and bassist Jeremy Davis.
From their earliest recordings, Paramore’s memorable melodies and developed songcraft seemed at odds with the members’ teenage years. They later aligned with Fueled by Ramen, a Florida-based imprint known for its emo-pop roster, and issued their debut full-length All We Know Is Falling in July 2005. Appearances at New Jersey’s Bamboozle Festival, repeated Warped Tour dates, and bills alongside like-minded acts such as Simple Plan and Straylight Run followed. Hunter Lamb took Bynum’s guitar role in December 2005, after which the group returned to the Warped Tour the next summer, strengthening ties with fans met the previous year. Lamb exited in early 2007 to marry, leaving Paramore to continue as a quartet.
That summer brought the sophomore album Riot!, recorded with producer David Bendeth. Powered by the singles “Misery Business,” “crushcrushcrush,” and “That’s What You Get,” the record elevated Paramore to major status, attaining platinum certification within its first 13 months and earning a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Around this period guitarist Taylor York, a longtime acquaintance of Williams and the Farro brothers, joined the lineup. The band maintained an intense touring schedule, including a two-month U.S. run with Jimmy Eat World, while also contributing two tracks to the blockbuster Twilight soundtrack, among them the Top 40 single “Decode.” Several weeks later the live album The Final Riot! appeared, documenting their concert prowess and closing the extended Riot! touring cycle.
As lead singer, co-writer, and primary lyricist, Williams drew much of the spotlight during these years. Her commanding voice and presence invited comparisons to figures such as Debbie Harry, distinguishing the group among punk and emo contemporaries yet also sparking well-documented internal tensions. Despite breakup speculation, the lineup held steady, and the band withdrew to a California studio in 2009 for a third album. After a high-profile summer tour with No Doubt, they released the reflective Brand New Eyes, containing some of their most accomplished writing. The set debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, propelled by “The Only Exception,” which became their highest-charting U.S. single at the time.
Capitalizing on Paramore’s momentum, Williams added featured appearances on other projects. In 2009 she contributed to New Found Glory’s “Tangled Up” and recorded her first solo track, “Teenagers,” for the Jennifer’s Body soundtrack. The next year she reached the upper echelons of the charts again with “Airplanes,” a B.o.B collaboration that peaked at number two in the U.S. and number one in England.
By late 2010, however, longstanding friction between Williams and the Farro brothers culminated in the departures of both Josh and Zac. Shortly afterward Josh posted a blog outlining the group’s past and his motivations for leaving. In 2011 Paramore issued the single “Monster” for the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack, marking the first recording without the Farro brothers and the first to showcase York handling all guitar parts.
The following year the remaining trio of Williams, York, and Davis began sessions with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, NIN, Neon Trees, M83) and former Lostprophets drummer Ilan Rubin. They unveiled their fourth studio album, the self-titled Paramore, in 2013. Led by the hits “Still into You” and “Ain’t It Fun,” the record adopted a wider stylistic range that incorporated synth pop, dance-rock, funk, and gospel elements. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, later reached platinum status, and earned the band their first Grammy when “Ain’t It Fun” won Best Rock Song.
After touring in 2015 the group parted ways with bassist Davis amid a royalties dispute. Williams and York eventually resumed work after reconnecting with original drummer Zac Farro, who first appeared as a studio guest before rejoining full-time. In 2017 the reconstituted trio released “Hard Times” as the lead single from their fifth album, After Laughter. Once more produced with Meldal-Johnsen, the set pursued an even broader, ’80s synth-pop-inspired direction underscored by Williams’ hard-earned lyrical perspective. It entered the Billboard 200 at number six, topped both the Alternative and Rock charts, and yielded further singles including “Told You So,” “Fake Happy,” and “Rose-Colored Boy.”
Following a lengthy two-year tour, Paramore entered hiatus in 2019. Williams devoted the break to solo material written with York and touring bassist Joey Howard. She premiered “Simmer” and “Leave It Alone” in January 2020, tracks that adopted a darker, more experimental tone than prior Paramore work. Her debut solo album Petals for Armor arrived at number 18 on the Billboard 200. Nine months later, in February 2021, she issued her second solo effort, Flowers for Vases/Descansos, produced by Canon Blue’s Daniel James and featuring Williams performing every instrument.
Paramore eventually reconvened, with Williams, York, and Farro returning to the studio. They released “This Is Why” in September 2021 as the first single and title track of the sixth studio album. Produced by Carlos de la Garza, This Is Why appeared in February 2023 and marked a return to a more guitar-driven post-punk aesthetic. The album reached number two on the Billboard 200 and led the Alternative and Rock Albums charts. Its companion remix collection, Re: This Is Why, followed that October and included both conventional remixes and re-recorded covers by Foals, Bartees Strange, Remi Wolf, and additional artists. A year after release, This Is Why collected Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Rock Album, making Paramore the first band fronted by a woman to receive the latter honor.
Originally formed in Franklin, Tennessee, the band coalesced after Williams relocated from Meridian, Mississippi, in 2002. There she connected with brothers Josh and Zac Farro through a local music program aimed at homeschooled students. Already displaying vocal power at age 13, Williams drew the interest of Atlantic Records, which signed her as a solo act. Disagreeing with the label about her musical direction, she persuaded them to approve a complete group assembled from her Franklin-area peers. Officially established in 2004, Paramore consisted of Williams, guitarist Josh Farro, drummer Zac Farro, guitarist Jason Bynum, and bassist Jeremy Davis.
From their earliest recordings, Paramore’s memorable melodies and developed songcraft seemed at odds with the members’ teenage years. They later aligned with Fueled by Ramen, a Florida-based imprint known for its emo-pop roster, and issued their debut full-length All We Know Is Falling in July 2005. Appearances at New Jersey’s Bamboozle Festival, repeated Warped Tour dates, and bills alongside like-minded acts such as Simple Plan and Straylight Run followed. Hunter Lamb took Bynum’s guitar role in December 2005, after which the group returned to the Warped Tour the next summer, strengthening ties with fans met the previous year. Lamb exited in early 2007 to marry, leaving Paramore to continue as a quartet.
That summer brought the sophomore album Riot!, recorded with producer David Bendeth. Powered by the singles “Misery Business,” “crushcrushcrush,” and “That’s What You Get,” the record elevated Paramore to major status, attaining platinum certification within its first 13 months and earning a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Around this period guitarist Taylor York, a longtime acquaintance of Williams and the Farro brothers, joined the lineup. The band maintained an intense touring schedule, including a two-month U.S. run with Jimmy Eat World, while also contributing two tracks to the blockbuster Twilight soundtrack, among them the Top 40 single “Decode.” Several weeks later the live album The Final Riot! appeared, documenting their concert prowess and closing the extended Riot! touring cycle.
As lead singer, co-writer, and primary lyricist, Williams drew much of the spotlight during these years. Her commanding voice and presence invited comparisons to figures such as Debbie Harry, distinguishing the group among punk and emo contemporaries yet also sparking well-documented internal tensions. Despite breakup speculation, the lineup held steady, and the band withdrew to a California studio in 2009 for a third album. After a high-profile summer tour with No Doubt, they released the reflective Brand New Eyes, containing some of their most accomplished writing. The set debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, propelled by “The Only Exception,” which became their highest-charting U.S. single at the time.
Capitalizing on Paramore’s momentum, Williams added featured appearances on other projects. In 2009 she contributed to New Found Glory’s “Tangled Up” and recorded her first solo track, “Teenagers,” for the Jennifer’s Body soundtrack. The next year she reached the upper echelons of the charts again with “Airplanes,” a B.o.B collaboration that peaked at number two in the U.S. and number one in England.
By late 2010, however, longstanding friction between Williams and the Farro brothers culminated in the departures of both Josh and Zac. Shortly afterward Josh posted a blog outlining the group’s past and his motivations for leaving. In 2011 Paramore issued the single “Monster” for the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack, marking the first recording without the Farro brothers and the first to showcase York handling all guitar parts.
The following year the remaining trio of Williams, York, and Davis began sessions with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, NIN, Neon Trees, M83) and former Lostprophets drummer Ilan Rubin. They unveiled their fourth studio album, the self-titled Paramore, in 2013. Led by the hits “Still into You” and “Ain’t It Fun,” the record adopted a wider stylistic range that incorporated synth pop, dance-rock, funk, and gospel elements. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, later reached platinum status, and earned the band their first Grammy when “Ain’t It Fun” won Best Rock Song.
After touring in 2015 the group parted ways with bassist Davis amid a royalties dispute. Williams and York eventually resumed work after reconnecting with original drummer Zac Farro, who first appeared as a studio guest before rejoining full-time. In 2017 the reconstituted trio released “Hard Times” as the lead single from their fifth album, After Laughter. Once more produced with Meldal-Johnsen, the set pursued an even broader, ’80s synth-pop-inspired direction underscored by Williams’ hard-earned lyrical perspective. It entered the Billboard 200 at number six, topped both the Alternative and Rock charts, and yielded further singles including “Told You So,” “Fake Happy,” and “Rose-Colored Boy.”
Following a lengthy two-year tour, Paramore entered hiatus in 2019. Williams devoted the break to solo material written with York and touring bassist Joey Howard. She premiered “Simmer” and “Leave It Alone” in January 2020, tracks that adopted a darker, more experimental tone than prior Paramore work. Her debut solo album Petals for Armor arrived at number 18 on the Billboard 200. Nine months later, in February 2021, she issued her second solo effort, Flowers for Vases/Descansos, produced by Canon Blue’s Daniel James and featuring Williams performing every instrument.
Paramore eventually reconvened, with Williams, York, and Farro returning to the studio. They released “This Is Why” in September 2021 as the first single and title track of the sixth studio album. Produced by Carlos de la Garza, This Is Why appeared in February 2023 and marked a return to a more guitar-driven post-punk aesthetic. The album reached number two on the Billboard 200 and led the Alternative and Rock Albums charts. Its companion remix collection, Re: This Is Why, followed that October and included both conventional remixes and re-recorded covers by Foals, Bartees Strange, Remi Wolf, and additional artists. A year after release, This Is Why collected Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Rock Album, making Paramore the first band fronted by a woman to receive the latter honor.
Albums
Re: This Is Why
2023
This Is Why
2023
After Laughter
2017
Paramore
2014
Brand New Eyes
2009
The Final Riot!
2008
Riot!
2007
All We Know Is Falling
2005
Singles
