IT HAPPENED.
And if you have no idea what I’m referring to, let me take you along a path all can relate – the one that starts with a wild hope, and ends with dreams realized.
When your fav pop girl released Castles Crumbling (Taylor’s Version) last year, featuring Hayley Williams it spurred all kind of hopes and dreams across the Paramore fandom, and prompted M A N I F E S T I N G circles all over social medias that a live performance might one day come true.
I’ll let you imagine how fast the candle consumption rose once Paramore was announced as openers for the Eras Tour. Rightfully so too, because if a surprise song was meant to be, it was truly this one.
Quite a long shot to hope for to be honest, last time they shared a stage was back in 2011 during the Speak Now tour – so in case you’re really bad at math, 13 years ago. THIRTEEN. Oh. Maybe there’s a way to add to the magic if you know what I mean.
For the past few weeks, Paramore fans have been restless, sitting on the very edge of their seats in those venues or one finger hovering the screenrecord function of their phones during those livestreams, patiently waiting, patiently hoping that dreams might come true. I have to admit that even though at first I wasn’t way into the rituals and chants imploring all the musical gods – and mostly those two goddesses – to make it happen, I surprisingly got caught up in the game eventually and kept an eye out for those damn castles to crumble at last.
More than a song or a performance, I was eager to see the joy it could bring and prove once more to my cynical self that sometimes, dreams can come true.
And what better place for that than the birthplace of so many legendary and iconic performances that Wembley Stadium has been – kudos to Paramore fans, they always suspected it would be there. An important place for all music fans, and I dare guess for all music artists too. As someone who once made history within those very walls, ‘It’s a kind of magic’ right?
And the magic happened indeed.
I’m not aware of the exact specifications of Paramore fans prayers but if they truly manifested this one, they did it outstandingly right – for this performance was absolutely flawless.
The beauty of it is certainly enough to sweep anyone off their feet – no need to be a Swiftie or a Paramore fan to appreciate this one. A true music fan can only be enchanted by those harmonies ringing high in such a special setting, and touched by the absolute strength transpiring from the mastered fragility of those notes. And more than anything, the only requirement to feel the love between those two lifelong friends is being human I’d say. The mutual respect towards each other is the kind of support we need to witness more often in the musical scene. Especially women. I wonder if they know how empowering for the rest of us this performance was.
And that’s how beauty turns into magic, and how a simple performance becomes inspiration – with a lot of love and admiration. I don’t share much with Taylor Swift, but I guess we’re both forever in awe of miss Hayley Williams. Hopes fulfilled and dreams achieved. That’s how music can feel sometimes. The best kind in my book.
Not much more words to add to do this iconic performance justice, I’ll let as always the music speak for itself. All there is left to say really is,
Thank you Taylor.
Thank you Hayley.
I live to dream another day.
PS : If someone can go fetch Hayley, she might well be still stuck on that stage – another reason why we adore her so much.
Hayley and Taylor performing castles crumbling at the eras tour!!!! pic.twitter.com/eTeJFjjDFz
— hinna williams (@IDLEW0RSHlP) June 22, 2024
