In 2008, Paramore stepped up to drop two of the best songs ever featured in a teen vampire movie: “Decode” and “I Caught Myself.” The following year, they had the opportunity to contribute to the soundtrack for Jennifer’s Body. The Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried-led teen horror-comedy would go on to become a cult sensation, even after it sort of flopped during its time. However, it would be without a song from Paramore.
A missed opportunity for sure; maybe a Paramore feature would have turned the tide of critics’ responses to Jennifer’s Body. Most likely it wouldn’t, as the flop had more to do with failed marketing and a critical misunderstanding of the film’s intent. Still, there’s no doubt that whatever Paramore came up with would have fit right in with their previous—and pretty much flawless—foray into teen movie soundtracks.
Hayley Williams contributed a song solo—the manic folksy-acoustic “Teenagers”—which worked well alongside “New Perspective” by Panic! At The Disco and “Finishing School” by Dashboard Confessional, among others.
The reason Paramore didn’t get to contribute, according to Williams, lays the blame at the feet of former guitarist Josh Farro. Williams recently spoke with the New York Times about her new solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, where some Paramore history came up.
Paramore Would Have Been Perfect For The ‘Jennifer’s Body’ Soundtrack, But They Had To Decline The Offer
“There were a lot of things that I even wanted to do that they weren’t supportive of,” said Williams. Holding no punches in this recent interview, she added, “And when I say ‘they,’ I mostly mean [drummer] Zac [Farro]’s brother, ’cause he was an ass.”
Zac and Josh Farro met Hayley Williams in Franklin, Tennessee, and Paramore officially formed in 2004 along with Jeremy Davis on bass and Jason Bynum on rhythm guitar. Bynum left the band around 2005 and didn’t return, while Davis left for the first time that same year. He returned months later, only to be kicked out in 2006. He returned in 2007, Taylor York joined as lead guitarist, and Davis lasted until 2015 before quitting again. Josh served as lead guitarist and Zac as drummer until 2010, when both of the Farros left Paramore.
Upon his departure, Josh wrote a scathing blog post claiming that Paramore was “a manufactured product of a major label.” He also claimed that Williams used the band as a solo project. The rest of them were just “riding the coattails of her dream.” Williams, York, and Davis responded in an MTV News interview that year. They said that many of Josh’s critiques were things they’d dealt with as a band, and found his claims irrelevant.
“I turned down the end credits of Jennifer’s Body for him. You know what I mean? There’s so much lore! There’s so much people don’t know,” Williams said recently. Apparently, because Josh grew up as a serious “fundamental Christian,” he “didn’t agree” with the film’s content.
Which, if you remember, features Megan Fox being possessed by a demon and proceeding to eat her male classmates as a major plot point. And if she did it to a Paramore song? Groundbreaking.
Photo by Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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