Brand New Eyes debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 175,000 copies in its first week, becoming their biggest album on that chart, until their self-titled album debuted at number one in 2013. The album topped the charts in many countries across the world including Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, making it the band's second-highest charting album to date. The album was certified platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[4] It was also certified gold in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The band promoted the album with the Brand New Eyes World Tour, playing shows in North America, Asia, Europe, etc., as well as with festival appearances.
Brand New Eyes was the final album recorded by Paramore before Josh and Zac Farro departed the band in 2010.[5] Zac Farro would later rejoin in 2017.
Background and production
After the release of Riot! (2007), a blog post in early 2008 was posted stating that Paramore were having "internal issues." Coupled with a week of cancelled shows, speculation arose that the band was going to break up.[6] Not long after, it was resolved and claimed to be an issue of the members never having time to talk about things such as how they "were all growing up, and sometimes, when you're growing up, you're not always growing together". Further struggles to write new material had singer Hayley Williams expressing doubts about songwriting and meeting the expectations placed on the band after the success of Riot!.[7] In September 2008, Williams revealed that the band might release their next album in summer 2009.[8] On November 18, 2008, the band announced they were writing their next album, again mentioning that it might be out in summer 2009.[9]
Paramore spent six weeks in pre-production at Emac Studios in their hometown of Franklin, the first time they had undergone pre-production without the guidance of a producer.[10] A visit from record producer Rob Cavallo reassured the band that they were on the right track. "The album totally rocks," Cavallo said, "yet it's also very subtle."[11] The band subsequently felt that the album and their new material had the potential to surpass the success of their previous work.[7] Although it was originally planned to record the album close to home in Nashville,[12] the band commenced recording in Calabasas, California, with Cavallo at the end of March 2009.[13] They then added to the original material written at home with additional tunes written with the help of Cavallo after the move to Calabasas.[14][15] Similar to most rock records, the band mostly tracked the drums first, followed by the rest of the members recording scratch tracks that they later overdubbed.[16] Paramore finished production by May 2009.[7]
Composition
I was writing these lyrics, and they didn't feel good — some of it hurt, some of it was like, 'Am I being too honest even with myself?' I had doubts that it was the right record.
—Hayley Williams on the "doubts" she had with the initial writing of the record.[7]
The album's sound has been described as alternative rock,[17][18]pop-punk,[19][20][21]emo pop,[22] and emo.[19][20][23] Williams was concerned about lyrics that involved current issues, as opposed to resolved issues that she had written about in the past. "I was like, 'This isn't a feel-good song, because I'm writing about something I'm going through right now, and it's still painful,'" she continued. "And I confused that with actually not liking the songs, when actually I was prouder of them than I've ever been before. They're heavier emotions for me... I'm still going through some of this stuff, and these songs are really healing to me." The band as a whole treated the writing as a therapeutic experience, which helped them hash out old differences.[24] Now that "all those words were out on the table", they were able to have their first real conversations in a long time, resolving the internal struggles they had been facing, by going back to the reasons why they started the band and had wanted to play music in the first place.[7][25] Consequently, Paramore decided to name the record Brand New Eyes because of the allusion to seeing things from a whole new perspective, "Just trying to let go of whatever we might have struggled with the past and just see each other in a new way," explained Williams.[26] The band soon felt that they were onto the right track, and, retrospectively looking back on Riot!, Paramore guitarist, Josh Farro, said "Riot! was a kiddie album, but we had to do that to get to this point."[11]
Promotion and release
On April 29, 2009, it was revealed that the band's next album would be released in September.[27] The first single from the album was "Ignorance", which was made available via digital download on July 7, on the same date the album became available for pre-order on Paramore's official website.[28]Brand New Eyes was released on September 29 through Fueled by Ramen. The album's cover, an image of a butterfly divided from its wings, inspired the line "The angles were all wrong / Now she's ripping wings off of butterflies".[29][30] Two versions of the album were made available: a standard CD edition as well as a deluxe, limited edition package that has sold out worldwide. The deluxe version included the album on CD with the acoustic versions of Where The Lines Overlap and Ignorance, a 40-page hardcover journal written by Hayley Williams, an exclusive poster that comes with only the box set, a booklet with the lyrics from all the songs from Brand New Eyes, a color vinyl 7-inch single with the acoustic versions of Ignorance and Where The Lines Overlap, one picture of each band member, a certificate of authenticity, and a DVD featuring a 30 minute long exclusive 'making-of' documentary.[31] The CD was also one of the first to use iTunes LP.[32]
"Brick by Boring Brick" was confirmed to be the second single from the album, released in November 2009.[33] In December, the group went on a headlining UK tour with support from You Me at Six.[34] In November 2010, the group went on a headlining UK tour.[35] The fifth single from the album, "Playing God", was released on the November 16. To assist with promotion of the single, a music video for "Playing God", was also released.[36] The album was released in high resolution (96kHz/24bit) on HDtracks.com in 2012. The high res version has a greater dynamic range than the CD release.[37] In January 2015 another deluxe edition of the album was released in high resolution (96 kHz/24bit) on the US store of the British company 7digital: this edition includes the acoustic version of Ignorance (also featured on the physical 2009 deluxed edition mentioned above) and two new, previously unreleased, acoustic versions of Brick by Boring Brick and Turn It Off (both later included in the iTunes deluxe edition bundle).[38]
According to Metacritic, Brand New Eyes holds a score of 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on 18 reviews through October 1, 2009.[40]AbsolutePunk.net writer Julia Conny scored the album at 82% and praised frontwoman Hayley Williams, "Simultaneously down-to-earth and on top of the world, there is something about this Williams character that makes an album like Brand New Eyes more than another notch on that bitchy pop-rock bedpost. Just imagine what will happen when the band hits their mid-twenties."[50] Andrew Leahey of AllMusic gave the album a positive review, stating, Brand New Eyes presents Paramore as a stronger, leaner, and altogether more consistent band."[18]
Evan Lucy of Billboard also wrote a favorable review, saying, "Although the new set may lack the wide-eyed naiveté that made the group's past efforts so endearing, the newfound maturity makes for a compelling set of songs."[51]Big Cheese magazine awarded a maximum five star rating and Cathy Reay wrote, "Brand New Eyes is a huge milestone for an intelligent, honest young band that deserve far more mainstream recognition than they get."[42]
Alternative Press awarded the album 4.5 out of 5 and Scott Heisel praised the improvement of the album over its predecessor; "Riot! was ridiculously top-loaded, with an unmemorable second half. Eyes astonishes from start to finish, with the bouncy and confessional "Looking Up" and the immensely powerful track "All I Wanted" showing up as diamonds in an already gem-covered rough".[41] Sarah Bee, journalist for the BBC gave a largely favorable review and summarized, "If you didn't like Paramore before, their third album is unlikely to sway you. They make the kind of forceful, commercial emo-pop that music lovers love to hate. However, as forceful, commercial emo-pop goes – and it does – Brand New Eyes is very good. It is brash and gauche, but charming."[52]
Rock Sound however, went on to laud the slower efforts. "The album's big surprise comes in the form of the stripped-down closing tracks 'Misguided Ghosts' and 'All I Wanted', which see the fragility of Hayley's vocals laid against sparse instrumentation with truly immaculate results." Reviewer Faye Lewis went on to summarize, "Paramore are a young band growing up in the public glare, and although that would send many to the funny farm, it's made this quintet even stronger and Brand New Eyes is by far their best record yet".[47]
Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone scored the album at three stars out of five. Much like Leonie Cooper of NME, he was critical of slower moments: "But some of the sweeping moments blunt the band's fresh-faced immediacy — as if the cute kids from the sticks have had a hard time turning pro."[48]Spin magazine awarded four stars out of five in their review and complimented the band for standing out in a generic genre. "Paramore's follow-up, Brand New Eyes, which, at a moment of wet-and-wild Warped Tour cynicism (see Cobra Starship and 3OH!3), offers a principled reminder of a more earnest, honest age."[49]
Drowned In Sound awarded the album eight out of ten and while writer Paul Stephen Gettings stated the record isn't "pushing any boundaries", he praised its longevity: "[...] if you're already a critic, this isn't going to convince you otherwise. This is a realization, and an affirmation, of Paramore's musical craftmanship and potential longevity. They have allowed themselves to grow and still retain the innocence and optimism that makes them so irresistible."[43]
Kerrang! reviewer Dan Slessor gave the album 4 Ks (4/5) and claimed, "...in Brand New Eyes they have arguably delivered the most accomplished and affecting record of their career."[44]NME were also favorable in their review. Although being critical of the album's slower moments, Leonie Cooper praised the record as a whole; "Sure, the two slower tracks might make for a break in the relentless pace, but who needs the rest? If you just so happen to be one of the best in the up-tempo pop-smattered emo-punk game, why bother slowing down? For this lot, more is most certainly more."[46]
Commercially, Brand New Eyes was a major success. In the United States, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200,[58] selling 175,000 copies.[59] The following week the album slipped to number nine, selling an additional 44,000 copies.[60] The album stayed on the main album chart for 32 weeks.[61] In addition to the Billboard 200, the album managed to peak at number one on the Billboard Rock and Alternative Albums charts.[61] On January 19, 2010, less than six months after the album was released, Brand New Eyes was certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 albums and platinum on March 22, 2016 for shipments of 1,000,000 albums.[4]
The tracks "Ignorance", "Brick by Boring Brick" and "Where the Lines Overlap" also made the Pazz & Jop Singles List.[62]
Paramore went on tour with No Doubt between mid-May and early August 2009.[63] The band announced their North American tour for Brand New Eyes on their official site, with the Swellers and Paper Route joining them as opening acts. The first show of the tour was played at a packed Fox Theatre in Pomona, California, on September 29, 2009 (the day of the album's release).[64][65] During "Decode", Williams lost her voice. Lead guitarist Josh Farro spoke to the crowd and although their set was cut short, the band played "Misery Business" instrumentally while the crowd sang Williams's vocal parts. The tour, which previously went from September 29 to November 1, 2009, was later officially postponed on October 2, 2009, due to a case of laryngitis for singer Williams.[66] The full tour resumed on October 10, 2009, in Chicago. The band also announced that they would be doing a European tour starting off in Helsinki, Finland, on November 29, 2009, with You Me at Six, Paper Route, and Now, Now Every Children supporting all UK tour dates.[67]
They performed in February 2010 in the Australian Soundwave Festival,[68] along with bands such as You Me at Six, Taking Back Sunday, All Time Low and Alexisonfire. They performed at the Soundwave Festival before they did the Brand New Eyes Tour in Australia. Then in the first week of March they performed two concerts in New Zealand, one to a sell out crowd of 5,000 in Auckland and the other in Christchurch.[69] They also performed in Singapore and the Philippines, respectively, as the last two legs of their Pacific Rim Tour. Paramore have supported Green Day on their tour. They opened the concerts of Green Day in Dublin, Ireland, on June 23, 2010 and in Paris, France, on June 26, 2010.[70]
In July, August and September 2010, the band announced a tour in the Honda Civic Tour 2010.[69][71][72] In May 2010, the band had a short UK tour for November 2010.[73] After just one day of being on sale they added a second date at the O2 arena due to huge demand for tickets. They later added 2 extra dates to take it up to 8 concerts instead of the original 5. In June 2010, the band announced a short Australia Tour for October.[74][75] In November 2010, the band announced a short in South American Tour for February and March 2011, and the band announced a short in American tour for December. In July 2011, the band had a short Europe tour.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Paramore is an American rock band formed in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2004. Since 2017, the band's lineup includes lead vocalist Hayley Williams, lead guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, while York, a high school friend of the original lineup, joined in 2007. Williams is the only member to appear on all six of Paramore's studio albums.
All We Know Is Falling is the debut studio album by the American rock band Paramore, released on July 26, 2005, under the Atlantic-distributed Fueled by Ramen in the United States. Its production was handled by James Paul Wisner, Mike Green, Nick Trevisick, and Roger Alan Nichols. The departure of bassist Jeremy Davis, which occurred a few days after arriving in Orlando, served as the album's main theme. This theme was reflected especially in the album's cover and title. Mostly categorized as a pop-punk album, the album received mostly positive reviews and has been labeled a "scene classic".
Hayley Nichole Williams is an American singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist and only constant member of the rock band Paramore, which she co-founded in 2004.
Zachary Wayne Farro is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Paramore. He is the younger brother of Josh Farro, who was Paramore's former lead guitarist and backing vocalist. After he and his brother exited Paramore in 2010, Josh formed a band named Novel American, which Zac was also a part of. Farro is currently the sole member of the band HalfNoise. Farro rejoined Paramore in 2016.
Riot! is the second studio album by the American rock band Paramore. It was released in the United States on June 12, 2007, through Fueled by Ramen as a follow-up to the band's debut album, All We Know Is Falling (2005). The album was produced by David Bendeth and written primarily by band members Hayley Williams and Josh Farro, with Bendeth. The album explores a "diverse range of styles," while not straying far from the "signature sound" of their debut album, with several critics comparing it to the music of Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne. The cover of the album also resembles the cover artwork of No Doubt's 2001 album Rock Steady.
"Misery Business" is a song by American rock band Paramore from their second studio album, Riot! (2007) and serves as the lead single from the album. The song was written about a past experience of the band's lead singer, Hayley Williams, which involved a male friend who she felt was being exploited by a girl; when Williams and her friend dated afterwards, she wrote the track in order to "finally explain my side of the story and feel freed of it all". The accompanying music video for "Misery Business" was the third to be directed by Shane Drake for the band, and Alternative Press named "Misery Business" the Video of the Year in 2007.
The American rock band Paramore has released six studio albums, five extended plays, two live albums, one remix album, twenty-eight singles, one video album, and thirty music videos. The band was formed in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2004 by lead vocalist Hayley Williams with guitarists Josh Farro and Taylor York, bassist Jeremy Davis, and drummer Zac Farro. In 2005, Paramore signed with the New York City-based Fueled by Ramen and released their debut album entitled All We Know Is Falling. Three singles were released from the album, but none of them charted. The album did not chart in the Billboard 200 either, although it peaked at number thirty in the Billboard Top Heatseekers. All We Know Is Falling received gold certification in the United Kingdom and in July 2014 the RIAA certified the album gold in the United States.
Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the official soundtrack to Twilight, released on November 4, 2008.
"Decode" is a song by American rock band Paramore from the soundtrack of the 2008 romantic fantasy film Twilight. It was written by group members Hayley Williams, Josh Farro, and Taylor York. The song was first made available October 1, 2008 through Twilight author Stephenie Meyer's website. "Decode" was promoted to American modern rock radio by Fueled by Ramen and impacted on October 21, 2008, serving as the soundtrack's lead single. It is also included as a bonus track on the international version of Paramore's third studio album, Brand New Eyes (2009).
The Final Riot! is the second official live album by the American rock band Paramore and was released on November 25, 2008, with a bonus DVD containing the full live concert plus behind-the-scenes footage.
"Ignorance" is a song by American rock band Paramore. It was released on July 7, 2009 as the lead single from the band's third studio album, Brand New Eyes (2009). The song impacted radio on July 28. The song was written by band's members Hayley Williams and Josh Farro, although Paramore is credited as being co-writers of the song. The track, recorded in early 2009, was the first song to be written for the album.
"Brick by Boring Brick" is a song by American rock band Paramore. The song was released in late 2009 as the second single from their third studio album, Brand New Eyes (2009).
"The Only Exception" is a song by American rock band Paramore. It was released by Fueled by Ramen in February 2010 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Brand New Eyes (2009). The song was written by band members Hayley Williams and Josh Farro; Paramore is also credited as being co-producers to the song. The song was generally well-received by music critics; praise of the song was mainly about Williams' vocal performance. Music critics reviewing the song noted that "The Only Exception" was a different musical theme for the band.
"Airplanes" is a song by American rapper B.o.B featuring singer Hayley Williams of Paramore. The song was released in April 2010, as the third single from his debut studio album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. B.o.B co-wrote the song alongside Kinetics & One Love, Alex da Kid, DJ Frank E, and Christine Dominguez. DJ Frank E also co-produced the song with Alex da Kid, and Sage Levy. The song was released to iTunes on April 13, 2010, and then to urban radio on April 27, 2010.
"In the Mourning" is a song by American rock band Paramore. It was released on 5 December 2011 as the third single from Paramore's Singles Club series which was announced on the day of the single's release. It was announced that the band would release 3 singles until the end of 2011 with a single released per month, "In The Mourning" being the third and the last song of this EP.
Paramore is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Paramore. It was released on April 5, 2013, through Fueled by Ramen as a follow-up to Brand New Eyes (2009). Recorded between April and November 2012, the album was described by the band as being a "statement" and a reintroduction of the band to the world and to themselves. It is the first album without guitarist Josh Farro, the only album without drummer Zac Farro and the final album with bassist Jeremy Davis before his departure in 2015.
After Laughter is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Paramore. It was released on May 12, 2017, through Fueled by Ramen, as a follow-up to their 2013 self-titled album. After Laughter was produced by guitarist Taylor York alongside previous collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen. It is the band's first album since the return of drummer Zac Farro and the departure of former bassist Jeremy Davis. After Laughter represents a complete departure from the pop-punk and alternative rock sound of the band's previous releases and, in direct contrast to its upbeat and vibrant sound, touches on themes of exhaustion, depression and anxiety.
Petals for Armor is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Hayley Williams. It was released on May 8, 2020, by Atlantic Records. The album was preceded by two extended plays (EPs), Petals for Armor I and Petals for Armor II, which make up the album's first ten songs.
This Is Why is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Paramore, released on February 10, 2023 through Atlantic Records, their final studio album for the label. It is their first album since 2017, following After Laughter, and is the band's second album to have that lineup. The album was supported by four singles: "This Is Why", "The News", "C'est Comme Ça", and "Running Out of Time".
1 2 Stephen, Paul (September 29, 2009). "Paramore Brand New Eyes". drownedinsound. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
↑ "Paramore album out in September". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. April 29, 2009. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
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