In case you missed it, Paramore have announced their first New Zealand Show since 2018 at Spark Arena on Saturday 18th November. Very limited tickets are still available (run don’t walk!), so we have everything crossed our favourite emos announce a second show/venue upgrade due to the very clear demand! 

Paramore and Hayley Williams are going from strength-to-strength since their return with their first album since 2017, releasing This Is Why earlier this year. Additionally Hayley has featured on Taylor Swift’s re-release of Speak Now, and Paramore has been announced as joining the European leg of The Eras Tour. Killing it!

In celebration, Billie Founder/Editor Fleur and Contributor Lauren share their love letter to the song that has defined their friendship– Paramore’s Hard Times.

Lauren:

Sometimes life feels a little bit relentless. 

When Fleur and I became friends, we had a safe word when things were getting a little bit rough for us emotionally. This safe word came in the form of us sharing the song by Paramore ‘Hard Times’ with each other.

Whether it be a link to the official YouTube video, a link to the song on Spotify or a screenshot of it playing on our phones, whenever we sent it to each other we knew our friend would have our back. In the many years to come, the sharing of the song in whatever form would be a sign that we were thinking of each other and just wanted to check in and fertilise the galmance.

During the neverending Covid lockdowns (especially in Auckland, we the MVPs of staying inside) I found comfort in what I would now say is my favourite album of all time, Paramore’s After Laughter. For those who don’t know Hard Times is the opening track of this album, and to me sets the scene perfectly for what follows for the remainder of the songs.

I lovingly refer to ‘After Laughter’ as ‘Depression Pop’, and I love even more what this represents. Each of the songs on the album explore the different stages of processing the loss of a relationship or your happiness, backed with catchy pop-heavy music that helps you make sense of the fact that these emotions are normal. 

Sometimes there will be times that will “make you wonder why you even try”, but it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. By normalising these conversations you help make someone else feel a little bit less alone, so maybe you could have a ‘safe word’ with friends just like Hard Times was for Fleur and I? 

So thank you Hayley Williams for sharing your grief and growth with us through such BANGERS, and I cannot wait to ugly-cry in the audience to these songs live in the months to come.

Fleur:

They say nothing brings people together like shared suffering.

And although we were already close, Lauren and I were truly brought together by Hard Times. The song and of course, actual hard times. 

Working together, we spent many an afternoon with Paramore playing in the office - it was our go-to song to let the other know that we were having a shitty time. Life during Covid was tough and it was nice to share that with someone. 

If we were in the office, we would blast that song and sing along so loudly we often feared the people in the office next door might file a noise complaint. 

Like a form of therapy, we were sharing with each other that times were hard. Our problems weren’t solved by a song but telling a friend still helped.

Although we haven’t shared an office since 2020, our Facebook messages are full of screenshots of the song.

It’s truly the perfect pop song for anyone having a hard time.

If you haven’t heard it already, you should listen immediately. It’s an absolute banger!

But it’s also a reminder that even when you are feeling low, things do get better. And while we once used the term ‘Hard Times’ as a way to communicate life was shitty, now it serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come since then. Hard Times do happen but it’s a lot easier with good friends by your side.

‘Hard Times’ proudly features on Billie’s ‘Billie’s feeling a little bit emo’ playlist, listen here.