Everybody wants to be happy and in a time where happiness is hard to find, we tend to put on a fake smile and pretend. Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams knows that feeling and shows what it means to be “Fake Happy.” Today, the rock band shared the brand new music video for the track which comes straight out of their fifth studio album After Laughter.
Last month, Paramore shared some stripped-down cuts from the latest album for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series including “Fake Happy” and the video that comes with it is just as relatable as the lyrics of the song.
Directed by Zac Farro, Paramore’s own drummer, the video opens up with a tight shot of singer Hayley Williams as she stares up at the sky before looking at the camera straight on. The song begins in a somber light, just Hayley’s voice as she sings, “I love making you believe / what you get is what you see / but I’m so fake happy.”
She’s insecure as she rubs her fingers over eyes. As soon as the music starts up, the image of Hayley disappears and the camera zooms out to focus not on the singer but on the world around her. Throughout the clip, the camera follows Williams, clad in a sparkly bodysuit as she walks, sprints and dances through New York City. She searches for sincerity as she imagines everybody that passes her by with cartoon happy faces superimposed over their real faces. Like the song, the faces are upside down implying that we all paint on these happy faces just so we can show the world that we aren’t falling apart on the inside.
Her lyrics are relatable. We’ve all had that mask placed on ourselves. We know that fake happiness.
The band’s latest album hit stores back in May and the music video for “Fake Happy” is the band’s first in six months following their release of the clip for “Hard Times.” The band was on a four-year hiatus before releasing After Laughter, following the departure of bassist Jeremy Davis and the return of drummer Zac Farro.
Watch “Fake Happy” below.
Paramore just finished up a string of North American dates and are planning to close out the year with not one but several festivals. 2018 will see Paramore crossing the ocean for dates in France, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and more. For the full itinerary, scroll down below.
Paramore 2017-2018 Tour Dates:
12/01 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/Eagle Ballroom (FM 102/1 Big Snow Show 12)
12/03 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre (97X Next Big Thing)
12/05 – Orlando, FL @ Dr. Phillips Center
12/06 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore
12/08 – Norfolk, VA @ ODU Constant Convocation Center (96X Winter Meltdown)
01/07 – Barcelona, ES @ San Jordi Club
01/09 – Paris, FR @ Olympia
01/11 – Cardiff, UK @ Motorpoint Arena
01/12 – London, UK @ The O2
01/14 – Birmingham, UK @ Genting Arena
01/16 – Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live
01/17 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Arena
01/20 – Glasgow, UK @ SSE Hydro Glasgow
02/08 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/09 – Sydney, AU @ Qudos Bank Arena
02/11 – Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage
02/13 – Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena
02/18 – Manila, PH @ Mall Of Asia Arena
02/23 – Honolulu, HI @ Blaisdell Concert Hall
04/06 – Miami, FL @ Parahoy! Deep Search
Photo credit by Mehreen Rizvi
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