Revisiting Paramore’s “After Laughter” three years later 

Paramore’s fifth studio album After Laughter was released on May 12, 2017. To celebrate its third year of existence, I thought I would revisit the album and provide my thoughts. 

Frontwoman Hayley Williams just released her solo project Petals For Armor, and it got me thinking about the presence that Williams and Paramore as a whole have had in my life. I started listening to Paramore in 2007 with the release of Riot! when I was only 7 years old. Since then, I’ve been lucky to see Paramore grow and change as a group, traversing through personal hardships and lineup changes, yet somehow remaining at the forefront of the alternative music scene. 

When After Laughter was released, I was 17, a month away from graduating high school, and in a super dark headspace. Things weren’t great. Then this album came into my life, and I was just so relieved to have a record that so acutely tapped into my emotions. 

Obviously I was depressed (weren’t we all depressed in high school?), and this album was basically just Hayley Williams telling me, “Hey, I’m depressed, too. We’ll get through it together.”, and to be honest, I just really needed to hear that. 

After Laughter very quickly became my favorite Paramore album. (Sorry, Brand New Eyes.)

It’s hard to define the genre of this record. Some call it new-wave, some call it power-pop, some call it synth-pop. Whatever it is doesn’t really matter. To me, After Laughter is a collection of happy-sounding sad songs, and that is my favorite kind of song. I just love the dichotomy of upbeat instrumentals with really depressing lyrics. It’s my favorite thing. 

Throughout the album cycle, Williams could be heard at concerts saying, “Cry hard, dance harder.” That phrase is so analogous of what After Laughter is. The lyrics will have you sobbing while the instrumentals will make you want to dance. 

And it did have me sobbing. I absolutely broke down to “26” and “Tell Me How.” I was a mess. This is the effect Paramore can have on a person. 

But I also have had some great times with the songs, jamming out in the car with my friends to “Hard Times” and “Rose-Colored Boy.” It’s this duality of pure depression and overwhelming joy that makes After Laughter work so well. 

I think more so than any other Paramore record, After Laughter is brutally honest and genuine. The lyrics are completely transparent. The band was in a dark place as a group, Williams was in a dark place personally. It would have felt so phony for them to make any other album. This is exactly what Paramore needed to make, and I think it’s what their audience needed to hear. 

The band definitely faced some criticism for straying from their pop-punk roots over the years, but I truly think these comments are off-base. Bands are supposed to grow and evolve musically. It wouldn’t be meaningful if Paramore released another Riot! in 2017. They needed to make After Laughter. 

(Also, it’s not like those old albums somehow disappear when an artist releases new material. If you miss the old stuff, just go listen to it.) 

Lyrically, After Laughter is so poignant, clever, and emotive. Listening to “Caught in the Middle” gives me chills every time. It so accurately describes the pain and fear of growing up, watching the years pile up behind you. “Idle Worship” shows the evolution of Paramore from one era to another, finding their voice after a few years off. “Fake Happy” is so relatable. It has this anthemic build, almost begging you to sing along by the end. 

Musically, it’s reminiscent of the ‘80s. It has nostalgic vibes thanks to the ever-present synths, but it doesn’t sound cliche at any point. Despite being a call-back to a different era, it manages to sound new and inventive. 

I genuinely cannot find fault in this album. After three years, it still holds up. 

After Laughter came into my life at a time when I really needed it, and I’m really grateful that it did. It’s become a staple of music library, and I can’t imagine my life without it. 

Give it a listen today in honor of its birthday. You won’t regret it. 

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