paramore: paramore

xpost I really don't know how this stuff works, but when the fourth single from a year-old album is the biggest hit, does that mean that:

1) The band/label didn't think that was the best bet for a hit, and have been taken by surprise?
2) The band/label had a hunch it could be a big hit, but knew it needed to prime the pump with three other singles first?
3) The band/label just threw it out as an afterthought and neither had any idea it had hit potential?

Sort of reminds me of Def Leppard's "Hysteria," where "Pour Some Sugar" was the belated crossover big-hit fourth single.

"Ain't It Fun" had been very clearly earmarked as a universal favorite and likely next single since pretty much the release of the album. in fact, they shot a video for the song back in August, 4 months after the album release. then 2 things happened: a) they didn't like the video, and decided to scrap it, and do a video for a UK single release of "Daydreaming" before redoing "Ain't It Fun," and b) "Still Into You" finally became a radio hit, almost 6 months after its initial release, and they let that run its course before launching "Ain't It Fun" with a new video in early 2014. 8 months is a really unusual gap between the release of 2 singles from the same album -- 3 months is the standard, 6 months if it's a really big song -- so it's pretty awesome that the label kept moving forward with promotion given those setbacks.

i'm leaning towards 2 - "now" was released to retain rock radio support and not alienate too much of their fanbase before the album dropped, "still into you" was the stand out hit on the album (and "ain't it fun" owes quite a bit of its success to it laying the groundwork on pop radio) and "daydreaming" was merely a stopgap while they sorted out the video they wanted for "ain't it fun".

also it's peaking perfectly in time for graduations

yeah it's smart that they're just focusing on pop radio, it almost seemed perfunctory and half-hearted for them to keep releasing singles like "Now" and "Monster" after rock radio seemed over them. at the same time, it's kinda silly that rock radio turns their nose up at stuff like "Still Into You," given that most of alt-rock radio is pretty shamelessly glossy and poppy right now and they were fine with playing Fall Out Boy's lead single.

now was also a bad song tho

what a shitty way to come out of the gate

yeah but now that alt rock radio has lorde it doesn't need paramore

"Now" is a fine track imo, just not a super inspiring into to the project

"Still Into You" took so long to take off that they realized they'd be better served letting "Aint It Fun" have its moment in early-mid 2014 and it worked. The song has started taking off right in time for it to become an early summer hit. This'll probably land somewhere in the top 10 by next week or the week after.

lol what?

http://www.mtv.com/news/1817982/paramore-justin-bieber-cover-art-feud/

― how's life, Friday, May 2, 2014 7:47 AM (11 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i get the sense mtv.com writers are essentially at gunpoint at all times, v sad

MAKE THAT QUIP MORE MILLENNIAL, VERMIN

the funny thing about that post is that it doesn't even mention that it's not just the vaguely similar cover art but that Bieber's song is called "We Were Born For This" and the Paramore album his cover resembles has a song called "Born For This" (with the refrain "we were born for this").

how well did this do on pazz & jop? *goes to check* 34!

ah i see some of you did good work tho

Was Fast In My Car a single? That's a doozy too. I'm going to be 42 this weekend and just getting into mall punk.

nah, that never was. def one of my favorites though.

in my spin review i compared the first line of that to the first line of serve the servants, no regrets

last line there = classic "why am I writing about this, except that I have to write about this"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xccElNpW5sw

now that i've kinda gotten used to the abridged pre-chorus, what really bums me out about the single mix is that they throw the lead guitar line over the first chorus, i always loved on the album version how the first chorus let that melody just ring out on the dinky xylophone keyboard sound

i only just noticed that when listening to the album again yesterday and now it's gonna bug me forever (or until it's not on the radio anymore)

They just scored their first US top ten.

:))))

Yeah that makes me really happy, unlike finding out that MAGIC's Rude has already started peaking it's way into the Top 40 this week at number 39.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sob3r_x1-M

the band was actually on the show, i'm not just posting someone's random performance fwiw

Fell out of the top ten.

Someone should send this song back in time to 1989 to play over the end credits of some awesome movie.

Love Urban, J. Lo and Harry just dancing away in place. If they stop moving, do they get a shock?

lol Keith Urban was FEELING IT

Zac Farro's new thing is pretty good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9rMNCW3lnA

that is every indie song from 2003 to 2004

It's okay and his singing is good, but mostly it just reminded me to upload some Pinback to my ipod.

yeah it's not highly original or anything. but I always liked his drumming a lot, good to hear him do something that kinda goes against the conventional wisdom that the Farros left to go make 'real punk' or w/e.

I heard 'Ain't in Fun' in a strip club and it's become my song of the early summer

I heard 'Ain't in Fun' in a strip club

This is a very meta and perhaps even depressing song to play in a strip club

ain't it fun (if the homies can't have none)

xp yeah, 'You're not the big fish in the pond no more. You are what they're feeding on' is a bit much for a strip club

this band has some fuckin' longevity. seems like they are weathering vicissitudes better than, say, Fall Out Boy, the leading lights of the mid 00s pop-punk scene? or do I have this wrong as I am a dabbler?

and "Ain't It Fun" hasn't dropped out of the top thirty.

last Fall Out Boy album debuted at #1 the same month as the Paramore album (and has sold slightly more overall, although Paramore had the biggest single of either album), FOB has been around longer and is closing the shows on their current joint tour so...pretty close to a draw but FOB has the edge.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I feel like Paramore are bigger internationally.

Paramore are headlining Reading festival this year...Fall Out Boy were 2nd on the bill before Linkin Park at Download a few weeks back... so I'd maybe say Paramore have the edge in the UK right now

Deluxe Edition tracklist:

18. Hate To See Your Heart Break feat. Joy Williams
19. Escape Route (Bonus Track)
20. Native Tongue (Bonus Track)
21. Tell Me It’s Okay (Self-Titled Demo)
22. Still Into You (Live at Red Rocks)
23. Decode (Live at Red Rocks)
24. The Only Exception (Live at Red Rocks)
25. Brick by Boring Brick (Live at Red Rocks)
26. Let the Flames Begin (Live at Red Rocks)
27. Part II (Live at Red Rocks)
28. Proof (Live at Red Rocks)
29. Ain't It Fun (Live at Red Rocks)

awesome! Joy Williams is the woman from The Civil Wars, i worked with her for a day earlier this year and have such a crush on her now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZweyIKNwX4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8KImgMQAkw#t=24

better than beck, the black keys, ran adams, and jack white. that much you can't deny.

of course

https://twitter.com/TheParamoreBand/status/564767687143079936