Paramore’s newest album, “Re: This Is Why,” is a revisit to their sixth studio album, “This Is Why.” Released on October 6, 2023, it is stacked with features from various artists including: The Linda Lindas, Remi Wolf, Foals, Wet Leg, Julien Baker, DOMi and JD BECK, Panda Bear, Claud, Bartees Strange, Romy, and Zane Lowe. The album has twelve songs, eleven of which are remixes.
“Re: This is Why is almost a remix album,” said Paramore in a tweet. “Some of the songs have been remixed sort of classically, while others were reworked or rewritten. It’s incredible to hear all our worlds colliding.”
All of the songs are remixes of their previous album, “This Is Why” except for the demo: Sanity.
The title track, “This Is Why (Re: Foals)” is full of artistic instrumentals that took the otherwise mellow and easygoing sound to a much faster pace. The addition of drums and synth gave the song an entirely different feel than its original, without making it lose its dreamy-sounding charm.
“Liar (Re: Romy)” is one of the slower renditions of this revisit. It is heavier and talks about love. For a long time, it was suspected that Hayley Williams and Taylor York were together, and this song was their way of coming clean about it. The lyrics are sung in a way that truly makes the theme of love undeniable and soft, without letting the listener forget how substantial of a topic it is.
“I got too good at fighting chemicals/ And dodging arrows I was asking for/ Wading through the fog and then it disappeared/ Naked when I’m here/ And why should I deny what’s all at once so crystal clear?”
“Crave (Re: Claud)” is about nostalgia and romanticizing life. The remixed vocals are more isolated and thus more prominent. The instrumentals are a lot more low-key, which highly contrasts the original’s soft, but still fast-paced drum beat. The revisit seems a lot more like a heartfelt talk than an upbeat memory.
“I romanticize even the worst of times/ When all it took to make me cry was being alive/ Look up and see a reflection/ Of someone who never gave way to the pain/ What if I told ’em that now that I’m older/ There isn’t a moment that I’d wanna change?”
“Sanity (Demo),” the final track and only non-remix, opens up with a strong, “Sanity, why must you make a fool out of me?” and has the signature Paramore sound that we all know and love. Originally written in 2018, it has a mental health focus and talks about feeling empty and isolated.
Overall, I really liked this album. Paramore kept many things from the original songs (such as lyrics) and added a bit of flair to show their appreciation to the artists that inspire them. I give “Re: This Is Why” ⅘ stars.
