Paramore Share ‘Thick Skull’ Music Video Continuing From ‘This Is Why’

Paramore entered into This Is Why with the goal of both internal and external interrogation. The album asked complicated questions about the human condition that yielded answers that looked like those on the surface, but, on closer inspection, it turned out to be another layer of confounding inquiries. It opens with the title track, “This Is Why,” which arrived with a music video showing the early stages of Paramore’s existential unraveling. In the newly-released video for the record’s closing track, “Thick Skull,” they finish what they started — even if it drives them entirely off the deep end, literally.

The video, directed by Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, picks up where “This Is Why” left off: with Hayley Williams smearing her face with red lipstick. In place of her cathartic body thrashing, the musician settles into the discomfort of perception. “Might gеt easier, but you don’t get used to it,” she sings. “Keep on autopilot.” Moving from the inside of a mobile home to the backseat of a van — with Taylor York and Zac Farro in the two front seats — the whole of Paramore goes full speed ahead until they’re surrounded by smoke and broken glass.

When the clip flashes back to the home, Williams is still stationed on the floor there — arms wrapped around an exhausted version of herself seeking comfort. Alongside the “Thick Skull” video, she shared a statement about the metaphoric connection between this search for safety and understanding and the inherent vulnerability that comes with publicly embarking on that journey through music.

“I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to be in a band. I knew not joining forces with similarly crazed people might mean I’d never be brave enough to create things, and even if I did, I may never risk sharing them. Selfish? Maybe. Or lonely? Maybe to “leave the house” is a metaphor for risking true vulnerability,” Williams shared. “This job includes being a mirror or a blank screen for people to project onto and find themselves in. Being perceived in broad strokes will make you feel like a clown. Goofy and/or terrifying, depending on the day. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve felt myself, little by little, let go of the tireless need for people to see me as ‘good.’ Indeed, every day, I learn there is no such box to fit neatly into.”

Toward the end of 2023, Paramore completed their 20-year recording contract with Atlantic Records, which Williams signed as a technical solo artist when she was around 14 or 15 years old. Over the course of half a dozen albums, the band underwent numerous lineup changes and sonic recalibrations. “It’s taken a lot of hard looks in the mirror, over many seasons of adulthood… but no longer do I question my ability to lead Paramore with integrity (and a healthy dose of dark and self-deprecating humor),” Williams added.

The thread connecting “This Is Why” and “Thick Skull” runs through the entirety of This Is Why. It’s tangled and worn down across all 10 songs on the album but strong enough not to snap. Paramore knows all about that feeling. “Just like a house can be a metaphor, so can a band. Paramore has been the vehicle by which me and my friends have learned our toughest lessons,” Williams continued. “It has kept us close, and it has nearly killed us. You also have these metaphors in your life: What holds you back — what gives you courage — what force compels you to grow even when it’s uncomfortable or embarrassing.”

Addressing concerns and speculations about the future of the band now that they are effectively free agents, she added: “As for Paramore, the band, not the metaphor: We have crashed the van. We’re finding new ways. We have new maps. We are starting from point zero. And this time, we’re reading the fine print. Love to the ones who’ve needed our band the way we’ve needed it. Just know we are grateful.”

Paramore entered into This Is Why with the goal of both internal and external interrogation. The album asked complicated questions about the human condition that yielded answers that looked like those on the surface, but, on closer inspection, it turned out to be another layer of confounding inquiries. It opens with the title track, “This Is Why,” which arrived with a music video showing the early stages of Paramore’s existential unraveling. In the newly-released video for the record’s closing track, “Thick Skull,” they finish what they started — even if it drives them entirely off the deep end, literally.

The video, directed by Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, picks up where “This Is Why” left off: with Hayley Williams smearing her face with red lipstick. In place of her cathartic body thrashing, the musician settles into the discomfort of perception. “Might gеt easier, but you don’t get used to it,” she sings. “Keep on autopilot.” Moving from the inside of a mobile home to the backseat of a van — with Taylor York and Zac Farro in the two front seats — the whole of Paramore goes full speed ahead until they’re surrounded by smoke and broken glass.

When the clip flashes back to the home, Williams is still stationed on the floor there — arms wrapped around an exhausted version of herself seeking comfort. Alongside the “Thick Skull” video, she shared a statement about the metaphoric connection between this search for safety and understanding and the inherent vulnerability that comes with publicly embarking on that journey through music.

“I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to be in a band. I knew not joining forces with similarly crazed people might mean I’d never be brave enough to create things, and even if I did, I may never risk sharing them. Selfish? Maybe. Or lonely? Maybe to “leave the house” is a metaphor for risking true vulnerability,” Williams shared. “This job includes being a mirror or a blank screen for people to project onto and find themselves in. Being perceived in broad strokes will make you feel like a clown. Goofy and/or terrifying, depending on the day. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve felt myself, little by little, let go of the tireless need for people to see me as ‘good.’ Indeed, every day, I learn there is no such box to fit neatly into.”

Toward the end of 2023, Paramore completed their 20-year recording contract with Atlantic Records, which Williams signed as a technical solo artist when she was around 14 or 15 years old. Over the course of half a dozen albums, the band underwent numerous lineup changes and sonic recalibrations. “It’s taken a lot of hard looks in the mirror, over many seasons of adulthood… but no longer do I question my ability to lead Paramore with integrity (and a healthy dose of dark and self-deprecating humor),” Williams added.

The thread connecting “This Is Why” and “Thick Skull” runs through the entirety of This Is Why. It’s tangled and worn down across all 10 songs on the album but strong enough not to snap. Paramore knows all about that feeling. “Just like a house can be a metaphor, so can a band. Paramore has been the vehicle by which me and my friends have learned our toughest lessons,” Williams continued. “It has kept us close, and it has nearly killed us. You also have these metaphors in your life: What holds you back — what gives you courage — what force compels you to grow even when it’s uncomfortable or embarrassing.”

Addressing concerns and speculations about the future of the band now that they are effectively free agents, she added: “As for Paramore, the band, not the metaphor: We have crashed the van. We’re finding new ways. We have new maps. We are starting from point zero. And this time, we’re reading the fine print. Love to the ones who’ve needed our band the way we’ve needed it. Just know we are grateful.”