Hayley Williams Explains What Paramore's 'Hard Times' Means To Her

The past decade was a roller coaster for Paramore, which began with the band losing two of its founding members in Josh and Zac Farro. In 2013, they released their self-titled album that produced a Grammy-winning hit in "Ain't It Fun," and two years later bassist Jeremy Davis left the group. Frontwoman Hayley Williams even privately quit the band for a brief time.

In 2017, Zac announced his return to Paramore and they made a triumphant return with After Laughter. Its lead single "Hard Times" ended up being one of the most iconic songs of the decade. Williams recently reflected on the song and what it means to her during a chat with Billboard.

“‘Hard Times’ was all about acknowledging the bulls**t of your own life,” she admitted. “Accepting, moving through, sometimes defying it.”

During that album's press cycle, the singer was open about her battles with depression. “It’s crucial for me to write as a form of therapy,” she said. “It shows me things about my life and emotional landscape I might otherwise overlook.” 

Since wrapping up their After Laughter tour, Williams has been focusing on her hair dye company, Good Dye Young. "I really don't know what's next for Paramore," she said over the summer. "The guys and I just had dinner the other night at my house, and I think we're just really enjoying being friends and adult human beings at home by ourselves, without music."

But don't panic, fans. Back in March, Williams said she never saw the trio breaking up.

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