After Laughter

After Laughter is the fifth studio album by American rock band Paramore. It was released on May 12, 2017, through Fueled by Ramen, as a follow-up to their self-titled album Paramore (2013). The album was produced by guitarist Taylor York alongside previous collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen. It is the band's first album since the return of drummer Zac Farro, who left the band with his brother Josh in 2010, and the departure of former bassist Jeremy Davis, who left the band in 2015. After Laughter represents a complete departure from the usual pop-punk and alternative rock sound of their previous releases, while touching on themes of exhaustion, depression and anxiety, in direct contrast to the upbeat and vibrant sound of the record. Upon release, After Laughter received critical acclaim from music critics, who praised the band's new sonic direction and the 1980s new wave and synth-pop sound on the album. Several publications featured the album in their year-end lists, including Billboard and Rolling Stone. In 2019, Pitchfork listed it at number 169 in their list of best albums of the decade. After Laughter was supported by five singles: "Hard Times", released on April 19, 2017, as the lead single, "Told You So", released on May 3, 2017, as the second single, "Fake Happy", released on August 29, 2017, as the third single, "Rose-Colored Boy", released on March 2, 2018, as the fourth single, and "Caught in the Middle", released on June 26, 2018, as the fifth single. After Laughter debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, marking their third top 10 on the chart, with 67,000 album-equivalent units. On January 19, 2016, singer Hayley Williams announced that the band was in the process of writing their fifth album, following up their 2013 self-titled album, Paramore. On June 8, 2016, the band posted a short video of themselves in a studio to their social media, the same month the album recording started. This was preceded by a number of images which all included both former drummer Zac Farro and producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, leading fans and various media outlets to speculate the return of Farro.