Worst to Best: Paramore

    I have a lot of dreams in my life. And one of them is to see Hayley Williams live singing Misguided Ghosts and 26. They are two of the most important songs in middle school. So today, I'll rank Paramore's 5 studio albums from worst to best.

    And I don't want to rank them in scores:)

    5. Paramore (2013)

    Paramore's self-titled for me is their weakest album. The band confronted many changes at the moment, the left of the Farro brothers and the fading of emo/ pop-punk music. What they've done is change their style to a more poppy direction. I always appreciate bands who dare to make changes in their career, but this album didn't reach their highest point. Self-tilted is a 64-minute album, 17 tracks as their longest album, which is too long for a pop record. You can tell that they tried on this album, with tracks like Future and those interludes. However, at the end of the day, I rather listen to tracks like Ain't it Fun and Still into You. The ambition really didn't go anywhere. With that being said, most of the tracks are fun to enjoy, the tracklist doesn't stink entirely.

    4. Riot! (2007)

    I'm struggling with my No.4 and No.3 pick, but here they are. Riot! is probably Paramore's most influential record, even today, artists like Olivia Rodrigo still copy sounds from this record. For me, Riot is the first Paramore album I've listened to, and I still have feelings for it to this day. The nostalgia is too much to handle. Compared to other mall emo bands like Fall Out Boy or Panic! at the Disco, I do feel the real emotions in this album. That's What You Get and When It Rains have that instantly catchy melody, For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic has that amazing guitar sound. But recently I revisited this album, I felt the one-dimensional in it. The second half gets a bit boring, so it can only land in number 4.

    3. All We Know Is Falling (2005)

    I've talked about this album before, so I'm only adding new thoughts on it. Paramore's most underrated album, in my opinion. Compared to Riot, All We Know Is Falling is basically everything but better. Hayley's vocals aren't all over the place, the instruments are more smooth and subtle. The mix of it maybe isn't the best, but it adds a more emo vibe to it. Although it's Paramore's debut, the whole thing is very tasteful. The guitar sounds ethereal and spacey. It didn't suffer from the one-dimensional problem that I have with Riot as well. 

    2. Brand New Eyes (2009)

    Bangers after bangers after bangers, that's what Brand New Eyes sounds like. (I dislike The Only Exception tho, it's generic) I would describe it as pop-punk perfection. Hayley's singing is just insanely good, the melodies are catchy AF. The album has a balance that worked weirdly. Although I'm not a fan of The Only Exception and All I Wanted, they bring chill vibes which are necessary for the whole experience. Misguided Ghosts is my favorite song on Brand New Eyes, the subtle acoustic sound actually brought tears to me sometimes. Decode is another great song where Hayley delivered some of her best vocals. Anyway, for a pop-punk album, I can't remember anything that sounds better.

    1. After Laughter (2017)

    I bet lots of you didn't expect it, but After Laughter is my favorite album by Paramore. This is by far Paramore's most mature, diverse, and heartbroken album. During the four years between self-titled and After Laughter, there are some huge changes for the band. The left of bassist Jeremy Davis and the return of Zac Farro. Yeah, in a short period, Taylor York is the only member of the band. Everyone has been through a lot, which made this album weird but good.

    The instruments and vocals are super funky and joyful, but the lyrics are super dark. Titled" After Laughter" reflects what they've thought, the experience is about the emptiness after parties. The majority of the songs sound funky and blissful, but you also have the incredibly melancholy Fake Happy and Tell Me How. The most beautiful moment is definitely 26, Hayley sings her heart out, and the strings sound absolutely gorgeous. Those other funky songs are flavorful as well, you should check them out. My only complaint is the ending isn't perfect. No Friend is pretty strange and doesn't work out for the concept, Tell Me How is another slow song but it doesn't hit as hard as 26. All in all, it's a fantastic album, my absolute favorite from them.