Ten years ago today, Paramore’s self-titled album — featuring singles like “Now,” “Ain’t It Fun,” and “Still Into You” — was released. Hayley Williams shared a heartfelt note on social media about making the album, writing that it “took a lot of guts and self-determination to make.”
Here’s Williams’ full note below, which touches on the exit of Josh and Zac Farro (Zac rejoined in 2016):
10 years ago we put out a record that took a lot of guts and self-determination to make. Mainly because after losing 2 members of the band there was so much discourse around whether or not the band could make anything worthwhile – let alone stay together.
The story of Paramore has been rife with reality show-style drama. Well, until the last 6 or 7 years. It’s really great to be able to look back from where we are now, knowing the story didn’t end when some said it would.
If all that led to our Self-Titled album hadn’t happened, we’d be the most boring band of all time. If we hadn’t been forced out of our trauma-bonded comfort zones, we would’ve never known what we might be capable of.
Thank you Justin Meldal-Johnsen for expanding our musical vocabulary and believing we could be more than a band from one specific scene. And thank you Carlos de la Garza for engineering the shit out of the album. Thank you Ken Andrews of Failure for mixing it, singing backups on it, and being a musical hero to us.
Taylor and I wrote these songs having no idea if people would accept a reformed, more liberated version of Paramore. Our fans not only accepted but championed our rebirth.
Thank you for allowing us the room for creative risk and for keeping this story going.
We love you.
Paramore forever.
-H
In November 2022, Paramore (who released their most recent album This Is Why in February) changed the album cover on streaming services to an image of Hayley Williams shot from behind.
Here’s Williams’ post:
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