Paramore has been one of my favorite bands for the past 15+ years, and yet 2024 still managed to surprise me when it comes to one of their songs. I first saw the Tennessee outfit way back in 2006, before their big breakout a year later with Riot!, as part of the Give It A Name Introduces tour in the UK.

They weren’t even the most prominent names on the lineup, and I’d be lying if I said I knew they’d reach the level of stardom they have, but they were certainly enjoyable (as a sidenote, my friend and I somehow ended up in the same seating area as a few and got to say hello, though Hayley Williams wasn’t present at that moment).

I’ve seen Paramore a bunch of times since then, both at their own headlining shows and festivals, but not since Reading Festival in 2014 - not a deliberate choice, but a case of tours and timings not lining up. That streak finally ended in 2024 when I got to see them ing Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium. It was another great performance from the band, so much so it changed my mind about what their best song is.

I’d Never Paid Too Much Attention To Paramore’s “Last Hope”

The Song Was Released As Part Of The Band's Self-Titled Album

I’ll it that, as someone whose music tastes didn't often reach beyond emo or pop-punk albums, I’d always preferred the Paramore songs that leaned harder and faster into that genre. “crushcrushcrush” has perennially been my go-to answer for best (or at least favorite) Paramore song since I first heard it. Even as the band has increasingly diversified its sound and branched out into a myriad of genres - to great success, this isn’t a complaint by any means - it was always songs from the first three albums I loved best: “Pressure,” “All We Know,” "For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic," “Brick by Boring Brick,” and so on.

Even among the band's slower or more typically moving numbers, I’d lean towards things like “The Only Exception,” “Hate To See Your Heart Break,” or “26.” As much as I played Paramore’s self-titled album over and over and over again when it released back in 2013, “Last Hope,” the eighth track, never stood out to me. I even heard them play it live at Reading in 2014 and still didn’t find it remarkable. But, obviously, I was young and foolish.

Seeing Paramore Again In 2024 Finally Made Me Appreciate “Last Hope”

The Song Is A Very Different Experience Live

Paramore being the act for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour on its UK run was a slightly surprising choice based on genre of music (though not so with the long history between the two acts), but a glorious one: both are constant features on my Spotify Wrapped, so seeing them together at Wembley made for one hell of a show. Swift may have been the main event, but Paramore alone would’ve been enough. It’s the performance of “Last Hope” that really stood out from their set, even among bigger, more crowd-pleasing hits like “Misery Business” and “Ain’t It Fun.”

It's just a spark but it's enough to keep me going

And when it's dark out and no one's around it keeps glowing

It's just a spark but it's enough to keep me going

And when it's dark out and no one's around it keeps glowing

It was a moment that made me wonder what the f**k I’d been doing in the 11 years since that song was released. It was the kind of powerful live performance that music feels made for. It rested a lot on Williams’ vocals, and my god did she deliver, not just in how she sounded - though it was immaculate - but in how it carried across a feeling.

It was at once intimate, and yet epic and suited to a 90,000 capacity stadium; uplifting, hopeful, poignant, and beautiful.

Music is at its best when it conjures up emotion, and no Paramore song has done that for me like hearing “Last Hope” live here, where the meaning really shines through. I was able to feel, as silly as it might sound, a deeper connection with the music, its lyrics, and the live performance. It was at once intimate, and yet epic and suited to a 90,000 capacity stadium; uplifting, hopeful, poignant, and beautiful.

I’ve listened to the song a hell of a lot since then and learned to appreciate the album version so much more than I ever had before, but the live version from 2024 is the best thing, by far, I’ve heard Paramore do. That’s not something I say lightly, given I’ve seen them live 5-6 times, and liked if not loved everything they’ve put out album-wise.

Paramore's live performance as a whole feels better now than ever before (and they’ve always been good), with a real tightness between Williams, Zac Farro, and Taylor York; the energy Williams brings is as phenomenal as her vocals, especially in the faster numbers. But it’s “Last Hope” I’ll long . It was more than just a spark, and certainly more than enough.