So this contest is on Brickfish.com under campaigns. If you'd like to vote for me you can! If you want to you can, also, read it at Brickfish. Thanks!
http://www.brickfish.com/KiteRide86
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Skimming through my mp3 player’s library, I reach the p section. Without hesitation I pick my favorite band. Music pours from the speakers, quickly filling the room with punk ballads. As I bob my head to the beats, I think about the band. Why do I like them so much? My brain touches lightly on different aspects of my affections, but I quickly decide on three major reasons why I admire Hayley Williams of Paramore: she is down to earth, she sings meaningful lyrics, and she is a girl in a man’s industry.
First of all, I admire Hayley Williams because she seems to be just a normal eighteen year old girl. I have watched my far share of Fuse on television and every time I see Paramore they all seem so down to earth, especially Hayley. She doesn’t try to glam herself up, like many other women in the music industry do. She wears simple clothes, with the exception of music videos, and she doesn’t wear much make-up. Everything she says does not seem scripted, like some others I have seen.
Secondly, I admire her because of the lyrics she and Josh write together. All the songs are different and speak of real life troubles. I appreciate the fact that not every song she sings is about love. “When it Rains” is about a friend wanting to commit suicide and “Franklin” is about missing her original home. I love the song “Crushcrushcrush,” which is about a frustrated girl who knows the boy she likes, likes her, but he is held back because of what other people would say. Real life situations speak to the soul and Hayley’s lyrics are very real. “Miracle” is my current theme song because I tend to be shy and it talks about stepping out of your comfort zone. A line of this song goes, “We’ve learned to run from anything uncomfortable. We’ve tied our pain below and no one ever has to know that inside we’re broken…I’m not going because I’ve been waiting for a miracle…It’s not faith if you use your eyes.” These lyrics help me build self-esteem, rather than womanizing hip-hop, which breaks self-image down.
Lastly, I admire Hayley because she is a woman in a man’s industry. I do not consider myself a feminist, but in the rock and roll industry, most of the leads are male. I only know of three other bands with women for lead singers: Plumb, The Sounds, and Flyleaf. I admire them, as well, but Hayley is only eighteen and she’s making strides in the industry. She and Josh write all the songs, not their label. She is petite, but she can belt a note. I have always loved to sing, but could never quite find my style and she has shown me that even women can sing rock songs. She showed this in “Misery Business,” which reached number thirty three on the UK singles charts and number thirty seven on the US Modern Rock charts.
After I had formulated my top three reasons, I began to role-play. The setting is a hip club where new bands pluck their best chords and belt their finest notes to get noticed. The stage is small, but welcomed by the aspiring bands. On a week night the floor would be visible, revealing it’s darkest secrets, which are written by band members and fans, alike, in various colored ink. Tonight; however, is Saturday and the club is in its element. In the back there is a bar where steel tables and chairs are scattered sporadically about the area. At the closest table to the stage, I sit trying to calm my fidgety self. Across from me sits four regular people, just like me. This is what I try to convince myself because, really, they are not just like me. They are famous. Again, I start to fidget. Hayley smirks, realizing my uneasiness. She tries to calm me by starting simple small talk. After a time, I finally relax and conversation becomes easy. I begin to ask all the questions any normal fan would. I ask her what her favorite bands were and who their inspirations were. I ask for a detailed bio of the band, including funny stories of their time spent playing in Josh’s bedroom. I ask where their first gig was and what their best memory was on tour. I inquire about who they enjoyed playing alongside the most and who they dreamed of playing with. I raise stupid questions like what her favorite color was and what they mostly ate while on the road touring. I ask what inspired each of their songs and how they were formed. I solicit as much information from them as I can squeeze from their memories. But, eventually the night has to end and my brain is racked with pointless information about one of the most brilliant bands I had ever had the pleasure of meeting (of course that is not a very long list).
In conclusion, while I look up to many bands for their lyrical genius, there is only one rocker that I admire above all: Hayley Williams. She is down to earth, sings meaningful lyrics, and is a girl in a man’s industry. She has inspired me to the very fullest to sing like it’s the last thing I’ll ever sing and live like it’s the last day I’ll ever see.
