Where were you in 2007? Maybe you were rendered grief-stricken by the end of The OC. Maybe you lived in a velour tracksuit and Uggs, because Paris Hilton taught you. You may well have been skipping through the good primary school years. Or maybe, like a load of people (and me), you split your time between lying on the sofa at your mate's house, watching System of a Down videos and going on MySpace on your family's desktop, posting passive aggressive bulletins to get your crush's attention when signing out and back into MSN didn't work.
If your life revolved around the latter, you may have identified somewhat as "Emo Under the Cork Tree, while 2006 belonged to My Chemical Romance's Welcome to the Black Parade. And then, in 2007, came Riot! by Paramore.
From its scrawled cover art which could well have passed as a page of a high school art sketchbook, to the power chord-heavy breakdowns over which powerhouse frontwoman Hayley Williams wailed fatalistic lyrics, Riot! captured that mainstream emo zeitgeist perfectly. For many of us, listening to it now is like an exercise in going back in timeit was so intrinsic to UK emo culture at the time that it's hard to separate the songs from the experiences you had to them (probably while wearing a studded belt). To celebrate Riot! turning 10, we asked some of our friends to tell us about their memories of the tracks on the record. There is nail polish, there are tears, there is rain and, of course, there is a lot of being underage and cheap cider-drunk in public parks. Thank you, Paramore.
Is there a more fire emoji album opener than this in the whole of emo? To this day, when it all kicks in I feel like I could mosh through a brick wall, and those fills throughout are air-drum gold. Even the title is perfect MSN screen name foddera sort of deep, meaningful statement on emotions and, like, stuff, which in reality means sweet fuck-all. Glorious. TOM CONNICK
Remember when a Saturday afternoon used to involve little more than loitering outside a prominent high street shop, playing with your fringe and sneering at adults? That's the entirety of the "That What You Get" video. It's literally just a bunch of people stood around awkwardly for an entire day, poking their Nokias and sending 'XD' faces to each other, and yet I still want to be in their gang. TOM CONNICK
When I lived in halls (or what all of you outside the UK know as on-campus housing/where all your teen posters hopefully go to die), all the sad boy stoners boys had just discovered Jeff Buckley, despite him being dead a decade. There were so many "just listen to this bit" 4AM moments in hazy rooms I lost count. No, put that guitar down and just listen to Hayley Williams belt everything into how hard she's going to try to make her teen love last forever, go away. I still remain that this is the superior Hallelujah, FIGHT ME. KIRBY PARTINGTON
In 2007 I worked at the local ~alt club~. Fridays were both indie night and hell for all of us moshers who worked there. When this song blew up, it managed to penetrate even the indie nights and singing along to that iconic middle 8 was a welcome reprieve from The Pigeon Detectives or whatever crepey, dry-as-woodchips-in-your-mouth act was big, while pouring WKD into plastic cups. On reflection, wow, how gross is this song lyrically? In fairness though, 17-year-old Hayley's internalised misogyny is on a level with 30-year-old Drake's now so I guess I'll allow her. KIRBY PARTINGTON
As a teen I had a propensity to take things fairly literally, and as a specifically emo-leaning teen I had a moral responsibility towards feeling #misunderstood. So of course I have a very distinct memory of walking around my local area, alone, in the rain, listening to "When It Rains," my dodgy side-fringe stuck to my face by the wet. I usually reserved Bright Eyes, the sad girl's premium choice, as my music for feeling sorry for myself when it was pissing it down, but this more downbeat Riot! cut also did the job nicely. I learned about being a drama queen early thank you Paramore. LAUREN O'NEILL
Some people would suggest that "Let the Flames Begin" is filler, coming as it does during Riot!'s admittedly slightly saggy middle. Thirteen-year-old me, however, would have had to respectfully and loudly disagree. "Let the Flames Begin" has some of the most emo lyrics on the whole of this gloriously extra record, and that's what real #heads care about. It begins, "What a shame we all became such fragile broken things / a memory remains, just a tiny spark," and I'm fairly sure I had a school exercise book with those very words scrawled across the front, bookended by 'LAUREN O'NEILL.'
This, lads, is what you call a flawlessly constructed emo/pop punk crossover belter. This is having your heart broken in the middle of the summer, thrashing around with a hairbrush in your bedroom and then writing a really good poem about it with a pen and paper and then taking a picture of it next to some sentimental items and then uploading it to emopoetsociety.livejournal.com. It's exactly the sort of tune that would cause me to smash a half-full can on the floor and flip a table over before the vocals even kick in.
At the time, Paramore were usually compared to lighter mall punk bands like All Time Low, You Me At Six or, such was the state of rock criticism, Avril Lavigne, but when you break the arrangements down, Riot!and "Miracle" in particularbelongs more toward the darker, fuller side of the spectrum alongside Taking Back Sunday's Where You Want To Be or Bayside circa Bayside. There. I said it. Fight me, purists. Tenuous connections aside though, the greatest thing about Paramore is the fact that they simply don't sound like anybody else (at least they didn't before they released an album that is extremely *listens to Carly Rae Jepsen's EMOTION once*). Have the emotions of longing, frustration, hope and determination ever culminated in a more satisfying song (that you can fully pit to) than "Miracle"? The answer is, passionately, no. EMMA GARLAND
"Crushcrushcrush" may be about the dark side to having a crush but emo lyrics are essentially formulated to be applicable to anything utterly miserable tbh. I remember the power in angrily singing the mantra crushcrushcrush; to destroy boys I fancied, parents who only had bile in their throats for each other, the sexual power I suddenly had over older men who I was both enamored with and disgusted by, enemies real and imagined, my body running on next to no sustenance, and my mind, already regulated by antidepressants. Listening to that song, I could crush it all. Especially for someone who spent all their time alone as a teenager, the lines "we're all alone now, give me something to sing about" and "nothing compares to a quiet evening alone" soared. This was one last defiant monologue on the album, before the catharsis of admitting that we're all broken. "Crushcrushcrush" doesn't mean all that now but it's still the best Paramore to do pissed karaoke to. HANNAH EWENS
I was lostlike, alone in a crowd, quirky-teen lostwhen I heard this. I was searching for myself. Or God? Either way it was clich. This song snagged on customary teen snark. Lyrics that usually rolled over me locked into me when it played. I cried when I first heard it, like I was in an angsty CW show. It's a hymn. It's praise, it's faith. It's anger and it's a reminder, comfort and catharsis. I wasn't alone, clearly. BOLU BABALOLA
This brings it all back tbh: flailing braids, remote as a mic, a mirrorbeing a teen who didn't relate to what she was meant to. Essentially, a precocious art hoe. WIth my attitude flagrant, this song was assurance. I didn't need people to get me. I got me. You don't need to let them in if you don't want them in, or to be seen as someone you're not to fit in if you see yourself. Art hoe vindication. I was insufferable and empowered. BOLU BABALOLA
One of the best things about Paramore and this album both being so objectively great is that Hayley Williams is a woman. Emo as it existed back in 2007 was dominated by men, and as a young girl who loved it, it meant a lot to me to hear Hayley smashing seven shades of shit out of a song better than any guy I could (and can) think of. "Born For This" is an excellent example of how important she was, not least because even when I hear it now, I think the exact same thought as I did when I first got hold of it ten years ago. When the chorus hits, I have this fantasy where I am Hayley, on stage head-banging my orange hair, one foot on an amp, mic cord round my neck, singing to a crowd. On Riot!, which saw Paramore arguably at the height of their powers, Hayley made emo girls realise that they could be rock stars toothat they could be "Born For This" tooand that alone is an enviable legacy. LAUREN O'NEILL
You can tell Lauren, Emma, Bolu, Kirby, Hannah, and Tom about your 2007 memories on Twitter.
See original here:
Track-by-Track of Paramore's 'Riot!' Read Through Emo Teen Memories - Noisey
- Make Money from Images, Documents and Photos Uploading [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2016]
- Immortal but Damned to Hell on Earth - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: January 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 29th, 2017]
- Hands on review: Zencastr podcast maker - The Sydney Morning Herald [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- How to keep your children safe online as it's revealed half of six-year-olds use the internet - Mirror.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Yetunde Olasiyan: Between Having a Voice & the Need to Show Off on Social Media - Bella Naija [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- How a WiFi Pilot Program Is Helping Students in the Rio Grande Valley - KUT [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- These Shows Understand Why TV Cannot Survive Without The Internet And They're Doing Something About It - Decider [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- 10 reasons to not miss John Bender at El Club this weekend - Detroit Metro Times [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Ideal Flatmate promises to stamp out all roommate worries - The Tech Portal [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Five ways to ensure your kids are safe as they go 'online' - The Standard (press release) [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- How to improve your LinkedIn profile - ArabianBusiness.com [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Deal: New customers can get Google Play Music and YouTube Red free for 4 months - Android Authority (blog) [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Breaking Down Global Silos (Part 2): Lessons Learned from Conflict - Spend Matters [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Issa Rae New Series Giants Is A Must Watch - CampusLATELY (blog) [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Fake news, who benefits? - Shelbyville Times-Gazette (blog) [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- GST beneficial for traders, says official - The Hindu [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- It's time to get tech-savvy with The Mind Lab by Unitec! - Scoop.co.nz [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- 'Being an Irish author is more of a Grimm fairytale than a Cinderella story' - Irish Times [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2017]
- Barbie becomes a hologram version of herself - TechCrunch [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- PLYMOUTH BUSINESS EXPANSION: MycomPETibility.com goes nationwide - Wicked Local Kingston [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- The three reasons YouTubers keep imploding, from a YouTuber - Polygon [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- SnailBlitz 2017: Citizen Scientists Wanted - NBC Southern California [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Nikon D5600 Review: Hoping to Make Photo Transfers a Snap - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2017]
- Appealing Social Security Decisions Online - CBN News [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- How to file your social security appeal online - WZZM13.com [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- Meteor is OpenSignal's own speed test app - SlashGear [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- Data limits are the worsthere's how to stay under yours - Popular Science [Last Updated On: March 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 3rd, 2017]
- Overcome problems with public cloud storage providers - TechTarget [Last Updated On: March 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 3rd, 2017]
- When Words Beget Blows - Outlook India [Last Updated On: March 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 4th, 2017]
- A man with vitiligo who was called 'zebra' by bullies has defied their cruel comments by becoming a model - The Sun [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec coaches kids to fuel entrepreneurial spirit - VentureBeat [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2017]
- Everything new in Stellaris: Utopia, one of Paradox's biggest game updates ever - PC Gamer [Last Updated On: March 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 10th, 2017]
- IN TRANSIT: The Idol Maker - Mumbai Mirror [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2017]
- Paytm to continue free uploading of money - Business Standard [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2017]
- The perils and false rewards of parenting in the era of 'digi-discipline' - Minnesota Public Radio News [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- Showtime docu-series sees the 'Dark' side of tech - LA Daily News [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- Elon Musk: Australian man pens desperate letter to download his brain - NEWS.com.au [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- How Vestas Wind Systems used outsourced machine learning to transform contract management - Diginomica [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Wednesday Web Artist of the Week: Eva Papamargariti - ArtSlant [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Your Obsolete Brain: Life and Death in the Age of Superintelligent Machines - Digital Journal [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Under Armour launches its first customisable shoes - just-style.com (subscription) [Last Updated On: June 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 8th, 2017]
- I Don't Care What You Think, I Love My Facial Birthmark - SELF [Last Updated On: June 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 9th, 2017]
- Cable: Where Are We Headed After This Political Meltdown? - Seeking Alpha [Last Updated On: June 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 9th, 2017]
- Best Screen Recorders Top 10 Screen Capture Software - Gazette Review [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2017]
- Nigeria just got a verified Twitter handle - TechCabal [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2017]
- Just keep pinning: why your business should be on Pinterest - Cambridge Network [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2017]
- Decision day for Go Forward Pine Bluff - Pine Bluff Commercial [Last Updated On: June 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 13th, 2017]
- Addressing rape culture - News24 [Last Updated On: June 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 14th, 2017]
- Italy's Samantha Cristoforetti Says Being a Good Astronaut is All About Teamwork - Fortune [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2017]
- Google Drive will soon make it easy to Backup and Sync PCs, Macs - SlashGear [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2017]
- What's worse than getting phished? Getting phished *and* sending a selfie of your Photo ID and credit card - Graham Cluley Security News [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2017]
- Track Of The Day 16/6 - Maximillian - Clash Magazine [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2017]
- AROUND TOWN: GOP chairman questions Ossoff's London office - MDJOnline.com [Last Updated On: June 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 20th, 2017]
- RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION: ITS Fiber brings fast connections, data center services to local business - TCPalm [Last Updated On: June 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 20th, 2017]
- Fiberlink Internet Packages & Prices 2017 - TechJuice (press release) (blog) [Last Updated On: June 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 20th, 2017]
- CS Editors: Creating Content - Security Sales & Integration [Last Updated On: June 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 20th, 2017]
- How to post a GIF to Facebook - Tech Advisor (registration) [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2017]
- The Living Vampire / Real Vampire FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - HuffPost [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2017]
- Facebook Is Introducing New Tools to Protect Women in India - Fortune [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2017]
- Mum drops off daughter at college then sends her hilarious texts with football team - NEWS.com.au [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2017]
- Is Chrome OS right for you? A 3-question quiz to find out - Computerworld [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2017]
- Facebook wants to stop creeps from downloading your profile picture - TNW [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2017]
- Action and Emotion - lareviewofbooks [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2017]
- 6 ways to be more hirable and 1 that could land a job today - Deseret News [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2017]
- Searching for a Career? Set up a Free Profile at AutoCareCareers.org - PR Newswire (press release) [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2017]
- Industry Job Seekers Can Set Up A Free Profile At AutoCareCareers.Org - AftermarketNews.com (AMN) [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2017]
- Steve Mitchell The Mind of Watercolor Blog [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2017]
- How to Upload to Google Drive - Cloudwards [Last Updated On: July 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 1st, 2017]
- Stevie Ryan, YouTube personality, found dead at home - Blasting News [Last Updated On: July 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 4th, 2017]
- 5 tips to a delicious food photo - Orlando Sentinel [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2017]
- Gordon Hayward the best Jazz wing player of all time? Not what the numbers say. - SLC Dunk [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2017]
- 36 Years of Loretta's - Racer X Online [Last Updated On: July 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 6th, 2017]
- How to Work on Your Laptop at a Coffee Shop Without Being a Jerk - Lifehacker [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2017]
- There's a new most-viewed Youtube video, pushing Gangnam Style off the top spot - Buzz.ie [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2017]
- How to prevent bandwidth throttling with a VPN - T3 [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2017]
- Google will now let you back up your entire computer for FREE on its servers - Mirror.co.uk [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2017]
- Google Drive Backup and Sync lets you backup your entire computer: Here's how it works - BGR India [Last Updated On: July 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 17th, 2017]
- Why Mythology Still Matters: Wisdom from Game of Thrones' 'Dragonstone' - Big Think [Last Updated On: July 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 17th, 2017]
- Mum somehow manages to convince her daughter her nipple's fallen off in hilarious text exchange - Metro [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2017]
- Surrey police post selfie of a 'hot cop' posing by her car on Facebook to lure in new recruits and is inundated ... - The Sun [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2017]