Four years after their last release, multiple Paramore fans around the world squealed in delight at the arrival of the first single "Hard Times" from their new album which will be released on May 12th from gloriously talented and inspirational icon for many (especially my teenage self) Hayley Williams, the front woman of Paramore.

The tune, is utterly different in style from previous stuff, heavy disco with some Afro-pop style guitar backing with a set of superbly 80's so-cheesy-it's-kinda-cool-again aesthetics that accompany the song in the music video. It still has Hayley Williams' signature punky vocals but warped into a poppier, dancier kind of rhythm, it does have little glimpses at some of the quirks in the last album they gifted us with but displayed in a completely different style, the guitar being much bouncier.

I have to say I was completely and utterly surprised by the change in style both visually and aurally, I found it really odd to take on board that this was the same band that produced stuff like the heavy riff based tracks we heard on the Riot album such as "Misery Business" as it seems like such a change, I'm not sure if it's a move on behalf of the band because they've been away for so long there's a lot of hype about their return so they're making a stylistic choice or it's a natural progression of there stuff, of course it's still brimming with Paramore-esque quirks!

I suppose we'll have to wait and see on the new album if it's as diverse an album as the self titled album Paramore.


Here's the new track in all its splendour;

Sadie Fox