“To be able to play with an artist like her for me represents how long we’ve been at this…” says Paramore’s Hayley Williams of supporting Taylor Swift on next year’s Eras Tour.
It’s been a monumental year for Paramore, with the release of their excellent album This Is Why and some of the biggest headline gigs of their career. And 2024 will likely be even more massive, as the trio are set to support Taylor Swift in stadiums.
With Hayley Williams and TaySway having been pals for a long time now, the Paramore vocalist has shared in a new interview with Uproxx that they’ve been on somewhat similar journeys as artists, having broken through “at the same time” and today still going strong, despite some of the challenges they’ve faced over the years.
“I mean, we know how rare it is to last this long in the music industry,” Hayley explains. “It’s amazing what she’s traversed through and not only managed to last, but continue to get better as an artist, get bigger in her appeal. We’ve been in this for as long and we’ve really survived a lot, whether that is self-inflicted shit or just the industry at large and the world at large.”
Looking ahead to next year’s support slots with Taylor, she adds: “But to be able to play with an artist like her for me represents how long we’ve been at this, and how much shit we’ve seen. Now, it’s time to have a fun summer.”
Beyond next year and playing these pop mega-gigs, there’s also some hinting at what’s to come from Paramore’s future as a whole, with Uproxx stating that the band have ‘now fulfilled all label obligations and are effectively free agents’, and that ‘all three members agreed that there’s a level of uncertainty’ now. It’s seemingly no reason to worry, though, as for Zac Farro the focus is clear: “I just hope we can keep building the Paramore empire and then rule the world.”
Can’t wait!
In other news, This Is Why made it to number 18 in Kerrang!’s 50 best albums of 2023 round-up, which we unveiled last week. “Led by a formidable title-track that contains a chorus up there with their best, This Is Why showcases just how much Paramore have grown as songwriters since they formed as teenagers,” we wrote. “There’s loads to love here, from the angst-laden The News to quirky rocker Running Out Of Time and the gorgeous Crave…”
