Months ahead of their forthcoming comeback record’s debut, Paramore has dropped off one of the album’s lead tracks, dubbed “The News,” alongside a music video directed by Mike Kluge.
The visual opens to an eyes-rolled-back, red-headed Hayley Williams, who blindly sings the introductory verses into a bright television screen and from a lonesome orange couch. Between experimental cuts and eye-gluing edits, the metaphorical video becomes artistic chaos: the lead singer rages against the “exploitative” news cycle in double, singing to herself from across the aforementioned sofa; and as the track reaches its climax, Williams addresses the camera with bloody-red teeth. All of this is to show the oftentimes negative effects of the never-ending, present-day news cycle.
“‘The News’ is one of those songs that came together pretty quickly and felt exciting from the start,” Williams said in a statement. “It feels like a happy medium between classic Paramore angst and bringing in some influences we’ve always had but never exploited. Watching Zac [Farro] track drums for this one was one of my favorite memories from the studio.”
“Lyrically, it probably explains itself,” she added. “The 24-hour news cycle is just impossible to comprehend. And I feel a pang of guilt when I unplug to protect my headspace. The common reaction, or non-reaction, seems to be dissociation. Not one of us is innocent of that and who could blame us?”
Paramore announced their forthcoming album, This Is Why, in September, marking the group’s grand return after a five-year hiatus. The upcoming record, which follows 2017’s After Laughter, will receive a massive tour next year, following its release on February 10.
Watch Paramore’s “The News” video above.
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