New Release: Paramore - Monster

July 18, 2011 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

I have been aware of Paramore since about 2007, I imagined them to be another average rock band, with some really good songs. However I hadn't actually properly listened to them, and when my cousin, Tink09 and her friend Hollagram Star asked me if I wanted to go to their concert in February 2008, how could I have said no? "The Final Riot Tour" was my first ever standing up concert, and so far is my only one. Their support acts are really big now and it's surprising that they were supports. Kids In Glass Houses and New Found Glory were joined them on stage, and Kids In Glass Houses came outside before the gig and talked to about half of the line, and yes our little crowd got talked to also. I have been obsessed by this band ever since and by the looks of things I may not be the only people on the planet who is obsessed with this band. Their third and latest album: "Brand New Eyes" managed to get to No.1 here in the UK, which is a phenomenon for a rock band that was just your average band back in the day. Recently they have lost two founders of the band, and this is their first single without them, and surprisingly, it is probably one of their best songs ever. I cannot wait to hear their fourth studio album, because if this song is anything to go by, we'll all be blown away!

Paramore, in this music video and currently, consists of three-band members: Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis and Taylor York. Hayley Williams is the only original member, she has vibrant orange/red hair, that is never the same. She has gone crazy once in a while, from "Brick By Boring Brick" video, where she is blonde (Which didn't work at all as it looked like the band was trying to be your average band, and the certainly aren't that) to the other end in the "Playing God" video where she has pink hair (Which made her look like a doll, with a dainty expression). But I am in love with her hair this way, it is completely red, however she has blonde roots, and it really works, and is amazing when she's in the water.

The song marks their first ever song without the "Farro" Brothers. But is it better for them? I think this song is really good and proves exactly why everyone has fallen in love with the band. The song is about being yourself, and being happy because you are yourself, hence "I'll stop the whole world, from turning into a monster, eating us alive". It's quite interesting as there is a lot you could do with the song. Some fans have said that it is linked to the "Farro" brothers and that all the emotion is about them, and although I agree that they have turned into monsters (joke), I still don't think Paramore writes their songs because of past people. They have written about each other, and their relationships, and this has worked with "Brand New Eyes", but Paramore isn't the normal hatred band, and so there's no point speculating about it. This song is one of the credit songs for the 3rd Transformers movie, and appears on the soundtrack.

There is quite a few things that the people who make the music video could have come up with. I really like the water idea, although I don't think Jeremy and Taylor was too happy just lying in water, while Hayley got all the credit for singing the song, but I guess that comes with being a guitarist and drummer. Anyway, this is linked with the first few lyrics: "So solid now you're like water. And we started drowning, not like we'd sink any farther." And I really like the idea of the "hospital" and how it creates a haunting effect.

I like how they are in the one room, and are getting angry (Hayley swears she had bruises from that day, Jeremy thought he broke his little finger, and Taylor fell over in a mad fit of jumping and kicking the wall. I only know this from the behind the scenes video). I also like the idea where they are running away from the explosions, and they end up in the room where it first started with them taking their anger out on the wall. It was an attempt of "stopping the whole world from turning into a monster", but by attacking it they were obviously fuelling the building into turning into a monster, and so once they stopped and ended up back in the room everything settled. This is a really good idea and will relate to a lot of people. Many people think that the world revolves around them and they can shape it this way and that, in doing so they manage to hurt many people, but there are people out there who don't get hurt, the people who do not follow this guy or girl; no matter how much mental or physical abuse is thrown at them they will not change, which is the moral of the story of the song, as people want to be themselves, and no one can stop them from doing that exact thing. It's what that person want to do, they want to be themselves and you shouldn't have control over that no matter who you are.

This really reminds me of the reports from the papers a few years ago, that revolved around the case of Sophie Lancaster. She was a goth, however, someone who would express themselves. As far as I know, her and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were attacked outside their home. Robert was attacked first, and Sophie came out to try and help. She ended up having serious head injuries, ended up in a coma, never regained consciousness, and later died. Her boyfriend ended up with injuries but managed to recover from them, however he did slip into a coma. This song feels like it could be dedicated to this couple, since they were maliciously attacked for being exactly who they were.

Overall this is most definitely my favourite song by them, Hayley's voice is so crisp and perfect and full of emotion, I can't help but enjoy listening to it over and over again, and the music video is AMAZING, it's subtle with a little bit of an edge which captures me every single time. I know I may be a bit biased, but I truly do think this music video deserves this rating, I don't think I can fault it at all.

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