Hard Times/Sandbox

"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.

Critical Reception
The song received positive reviews from music critics. Joe Coscarelli at The New York Times praised the song, stating that Hayley Williams "remains the focus, and her nimble melodies and sneakily huge pop hooks are as crisp and magnetic as ever, unbeholden to genre walls. Brad Nelson of Pitchfork wrote positively of the song, calling it a "return to the vintage rhythms that informed 'Ain't It Fun,' but the new song unfolds in a context less obviously connected to rock and even further amputated from emo". Jordan Sargent from Spin named it as one of Paramore's best singles to date, adding that "It's also an interesting experiment, even if you don't care for Paramore's music.