Paramore
– Riot!
Riot! is Paramore not asking for a seat at the table but dragging one in and setting it on fire. Fueled by teenage adrenaline and the scorched sincerity of post-emo pop-punk, this album doesn’t pretend to be cool. It doesn’t smirk. It bleeds, sweats, and sings until its lungs give out. At its core is Hayley Williams, a vocalist who doesn’t just carry these songs—she detonates them.
Best of…
This was the sound of a band stepping out from under scene tags and label expectations. The guitars slice clean but carry enough grime to feel real. The drums never sit still. And Hayley, still barely out of high school, writes like someone who’s been burned twice and still holds the match. The band sounds tight but restless, hungry in the way only young bands can be, before industry polish sets in. It’s pop-punk without the sneer, emo without the moping—charged, bright, and ready to combust.
Not every track redefines the genre, but nearly all of them deliver a punch. Riot! isn’t subtle, but it doesn’t need to be. It wants you to shout along until your voice cracks and you remember what it felt like to feel everything all at once.
Choice Tracks
Misery Business
An anthem disguised as a diary entry. Williams cuts through with venom and confidence, backed by a riff that bounces like a fistfight in a trampoline park. It’s chaotic, messy, unforgettable.
That’s What You Get
Pop precision meets emotional fallout. The hook sticks instantly, but it’s the bitter wisdom in the verses that elevates it. Love goes wrong, and Paramore turns it into a sing-along.
Hallelujah
More yearning than religious fervor here—melodic and shimmering with a chorus that reaches skyward. There’s hope under the heartbreak, even if it’s a little cracked.
crushcrushcrush
A stalker anthem for the lovesick and furious. It’s slick, heavy, and drenched in teen lust and paranoia. The band leans into darker textures here, and it pays off.
Born for This
The closing rally cry. Big guitars, pounding drums, and Hayley in full preacher mode. It feels like a mission statement—loud, proud, and unshakably sure of itself.