About Hard Times

"Hard Times" is a song by American rock band Paramore from their fifth studio album After Laughter. It was released on April 19, 2017, through Fueled by Ramen as the album's lead single. The song was written by lead vocalist Hayley Williams and guitarist Taylor York and was recorded in the band's hometown, Nashville, Tennessee. It is the first single to be released by the band since the return of drummer Zac Farro and the departure of former bassist Jeremy Davis.

The song received positive reviews, being compared to 1980s new wave and to the band's previous singles "Still Into You" and "Ain't It Fun". Lyrically, "Hard Times" is about the feeling of going through hard times, and being useless in achieving one's goals. According to DIY, "Hard Times" follows the "bombastic footsteps" of previous singles "Still Into You" and "Ain't It Fun", featuring a "huge chorus and sugary vocals". Eddie Fu at Consequence of Sound agrees, noting that it expands on the pop rock sound of those songs by "further incorporating 1980's new wave". According to Billboard writer Lindsey Byrnes, it is a pop rock song that features a tribal beat, and is reminiscent of 1980's new wave. Likewise, Tom Breihan of Stereogum described it as "stiff funkiness of prime '80s new wave". Daniel Kreps at Rolling Stone characterized the song as "bubbly synth-pop". At The Guardian, the drums were compared to that of Lionel Richie, while the breakdown was described as "Daft Punk-style". In an interview with iHeartRadio, Williams states "This is a really big step for us as a band, and it's definitely a new sound. We're really proud of it. I feel like it really reflects exactly who we are right now in real time, and hopefully people will be into it." It has also been described as a disco song.