The early 2000s was marked by three things: the rise of the internet, the stock market crashing and various pop punk bands. 

Pop punk is an alternative music sub-genre that is marked for its blend of pop-like melodies with the loud and in-your-face guitar and drums. There are many bands who are considered pop punk. Some of the most known bands are: My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco and Paramore. 

These bands were integral parts of many people’s lives as teenagers. But all good things must come to an end, and these bands were no different. Many of the bands disbanded all together, but never made it clear if they were ever going to make music again. 

In January of 2023, the last founding member of Panic! At the Disco still in the band, Brendon Urie, announced the official end of the band. While Panic! At the Disco is no more, in the last five years, there has been a trend of bands similar to My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy getting back together after years, making music and touring. 

In 2017 Paramore took a hiatus after Taylor York, the lead guitarist, had a death in his family, which he learned while filming a Paramore music video. 

Paramore had been working tirelessly since they started in 2004. In those thirteen years, Paramore experienced lawsuits, fighting within the band and dealing with the troubles of the music industry. After realizing that they were burning themselves out, they decided to take a break. 

The hiatus didn’t stop them from making music by themselves. The lead singer, Hayley Williams, released her debut solo album Petals for Armor in 2020. Each member of the band used their break to grow and get to know themselves without the label of Paramore. 

In 2021, Paramore’s comeback was teased by Hayley Williams. In late 2022, Paramore announced  that they would be breaking their hiatus and releasing an album at the beginning of 2023. The new album This is Why was released on Feb. 10, 2023. It marked the official return of Paramore. While this may seem like another day in music for many people, to Paramore fans this is more than that. 

First-year Shae Horning started listening to Paramore in her sophomore year of high school after logging onto an online concert. 

Shae logged onto the concert because of Panic! At the Disco, but before Panic! At the Disco started, Paramore was performing. Shae said that she “started watching Paramore perform and forgot all about Panic! At the Disco.”

She was excited for this new album to come out after the hiatus. 

“This is the first time I’ve been able to follow an album release and see them tour,” Horning said. 

Paramore has been a band since 2004. They have fans that knew them from the start and ones that found them much later. 

Paramore seems to be a band that is able to reach people from different generations. The hiatus seems to have not only given Paramore a fresh start, but the fans as well. Fans of all ages and stages get to experience this new era of Paramore together. 

This is Why shows the growth of the individual band members, along with the growth the band has made. The album still has the pop punk vibe that Paramore has started with, but it is not an all-out early 2000s pop punk album. 

There is still Hayley Williams’ iconic vocals and belting. For many songs on the album the chorus gives the song that pop punk feel. However, similar to how they did in their personal lives, the songs on the album have a smoother, almost jazzy aspect. 

While each song is different from each other in tempo and instrumentation, the album is cohesive. It flows. This is an album that is best played in the order it was put in. It allows for the best listening experience. 

The return of Paramore is bigger than a band coming back together. The return of Paramore means the return of the community that Paramore has built over the last nineteen years.