Paramore fans may still be confused about what’s going on with the band since it scrubbed its entire online presence a day after Christmas, but the band isn’t completely off the grid: On Sunday night, Paramore took home two Grammy Awards.
Paramore’s “This is Why” album, which came after a yearslong band hiatus, won the Grammy for best rock album. Lead singer Hayley Williams is the first woman to win best rock album since Sheryl Crow won with “The Globe Sessions” in 1999, according to Loudwire.
Paramore’s “This is Why” single, meanwhile, won for best alternative music performance.
The band was not present to give an acceptance speech, The Tennessean reported. But Paramore did post on Instagram following the win: “And they didn’t even leave the house. THANK YOU @recordingacademy — Hayley, Taylor, & Zac.”
What’s going on with Paramore? Are they breaking up?
When the rock band disappeared from the internet, fans were left with a puzzling mystery: Was Paramore clearing the path for a new direction, or breaking up? And there’s still a lot of confusion about Paramore.
Paramore’s X account, with 5.3 million followers, remains devoid of any announcements or pictures. And the group’s official website leads to a “404 Not Found” page.
And last month, Paramore pulled out of iHeartRadio’s ALTer EGO show “due to unforeseen circumstances,” Billboard reported. At the time, the band’s statement, shared on its Instagram stories, was the only word fans had heard from Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro.
But the band has given fans some relief by providing a glimpse of a new project in the works. On Paramore’s Instagram page, followed by 3.5 million people, there are a few posts teasing the musicians’ contribution to “Stop Making a Sense,” an upcoming tribute album that covers the setlist from the Talking Heads’ 1984 live album of the same name, Variety reported. One Instagram post previews Paramore’s cover of “Burning Down the House.”
For Paramore fans, the posts provide some assurance. Amid the band’s online disappearance and concert cancellation, fans had been speculating that Paramore was breaking up. But an interview with UPROXX, published in December, indicated that wasn’t necessarily the case.
“Now that Paramore has spent the year touring behind ‘This Is Why’ (and making sure to take better care of themselves while they’re at it), a chapter of the band’s career has come to a close,” Carolyn Droke wrote for UPROXX. “They’ve now fulfilled all label obligations and are effectively free agents. As for the future of Paramore, all three members agreed that there’s a level of uncertainty. But one thing’s for sure — they’re still going to be together, and they’re still going to keep having fun.”
“I just hope we can keep building the Paramore empire and then rule the world,” Farro said.
Variety also reported that being a free agent was the reason for the band’s mysterious disappearance, and that a breakup is not imminent. Paramore reportedly took down its website the day its 20-year deal with Atlantic Records ended, sources told the outlet.
And Paramore canceling its appearance at the iHeart show was due to a scheduling conflict, according to Variety.
So 2024 probably won’t mark the end of Paramore.
Paramore’s ‘This is Why’ album and tour
Paramore’s “This is Why” tour was supposed to come through Utah last year, but the band canceled the appearance — one of the final shows of the tour — due to Williams’ lung infection at the time. It was one of a handful of cancellations on the tour.
“I have been doing everything I can to fight this infection so we wouldn’t have to disappoint anyone with more news of postponements and cancellations,” Williams said in a statement at the time that was shared on the Delta Center’s Instagram page.
“After struggling through the last few shows and consulting with my doctor, we’re unfortunately realizing that it’s past the point of wanting to push through to put on a good show for all of you.
“I’m now risking long term damage and I need to pay attention to my body,” Williams continued. “I physically can not go on. I know this isn’t great news for anyone. Thank you so much for your continued support.”
Paramore’s “This is Why” album, the band’s first in six years, hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, per Billboard. The band reinvented the album several months later, releasing a version that featured other artists performing the tracks.